Chapters âWe found her on the outskirts, hiding out in the Everfreeâ Pharynx stood tall as Thorax continued to just stare. He noticed something among the physical restraints. Around Chrysalisâ neck, along with the clamp, was a bejeweled necklace(or collar depending on the way you look at it). He recognized that item and its purpose. It was a magic inhibitor, which limited her abilities to little more than slowly levitating small objects a few feet off the ground. She couldnât fly, couldnât shape shift, and could barely use magic. On top of all that, Chrysalis had been stripped of her throne, devoid of a people to rule. 'Sheâs completely helplessâ. That one sentence filled Thoraxâs mind, seemingly on an endless loop. He was broken from his deep thought when Pharynx got his attention .
â*Ahem*If I may ask sir, what should we do with her?â Pharynx continued, âShe is guilty of attempted usurpation of the Royal sisters and trying to take over all of Equestria. Twice no less.â Thorax looked to Pharynx, and back to Chysalis again. His âbrotherâ was right, that was a factor to consider. Chrysalis was a wanted fugitive and essentially a terrorist. However, there was another thing to think about. As previously mentioned, she has nothing to her name. No people, no kingdom, no crown. To turn her in would be rubbing salt in her wounds. And what will happen to her once she is taken away? How would Chysalis be punished? Celestia is not one fond of execution, but the people would be in revolt if that, or something similar, was not the sentence. He had to make a decision. And considering everything, there was only one thing to do.
âLeave us.â The words were said in a low tone as they left Thoraxâs mouth.
âYes sir, IâWhat?,â Phynrax thought his ears were out of whack, âYou want us to leave?â He picked at the inside of his ear in an attempt to remove some blockage that wasnât there. Thorax put on a calm neutral face, and simply nodded.
âYes, and leave Chysalis here.â At that remark, Phynraxâs eyes shot wide open.
âWHAT!!â, shouting with a voice that might have shook the Throne Room ceiling, âYou expect me to-â.
Thorax maintained his calm tone and face as he interrupted with a simple, âYes, I do.â
Phynrax was flabbergasted, almost speechless as he stumbled over his words, âB-b-but she-â It was now Thorax who put a hoof to Phynraxâs mouth so that he may continue to speak.
âI know, and I get that your worried. But I need you to trust me on this. Iâll be fine, okay?â With a sigh, Phynrax gave in to his âbrotherâsâ wishes, leaving the room with the guards a few steps ahead. With one last creak, the doors closed. Now, there was nothing. Just a rising king, a fallen queen, and a room. A quiet, quiet room.
On the other side of the doors, a trooper looked up at his superior officer.
âDo you believe him?â asked the soldier. Phynrax looked down him unsure of what to say.
âWhat?â his face only slightly reflecting his confusion.
âI mean Thorax sir. Do you believe him when he says âheâll be fineâ?â the soldier pressed his question. With a heavy sigh, Phynrax gave the most honest answer he could.
âI donât know,â he said âI just...really donât know.â
Author's Note
Here it is chapter 2! I'll also be editing chapter 1 to make the two chapters flow together better.
Now I need to address this now: Due to my school life, inability to focus, and tendency to drain my self of ideas, I won't be able to update this story consistently. HOWEVER, that doesn't mean you should stop supporting me. Your support gives me the motivation to continue this story. I have also set up alarms for myself so that I can work on this over the weekends. So there is more to come, DON'T doubt that!
Chapter 3: A Royal Hearing
The silence emanating from Chrysalis was deafening. The two had only been alone for less then a minute, but the unending quiet made it feel like hours, bordering on days even. Thorax stared at Chrysalis with an expecting gaze. He was slightly taller than her due to the throne on which he sat. Chrysalis on the other hand, just sat on the floor with her head hung low. Her long, green mane drooped down just as much. It came down over her face, hiding the eyes that refused to look up and the ones of the king. Thorax could sense her anger and disgust. It was even a little nauseating. After what seemed like an eternity, it was Thorax who broke the silence between them.
âIs there...anything I can get you?â He said with a little unsure smile. At this point, he had regressed from the confident, calm king to the more nervous, but kind Changeling that he was known to be. Chrysalis however, did not take his question well. Her rage and disgust boiled, as she raised her head to glare at the king that was before her. She still refused to make eye contact, but Chrysalisâ eyes still burned with the raw anger within.
âWhat,â she hissed through clenched fangs, âWhat did you say?â Thorax tried to keep cool.
âI asked, can I get you anything?â Thorax levitated over a teapot and two cups, as to bring attention to them. Chrysalis seathed.
âYou have captured me, bound me in chains, and you dare to offer me TEA!!â Chrysalisâ voice definitely shook the ceiling.
âI am trying to be a good host. Guests deserve respect.â Thorax continued to keep up his shaky but calm demeanor. Chrysalisâ temper only grew more sour.
âYou are my warden, and I am your prisoner! And youâre treating me like a guest at a dinner party! How incompetent are you?!â Her voice carried her rage, the words laced with burning poison. The restraints weighed her down, but it was clear that if she got the chance...she would jump across the room and ring his neck. Thoraxâs frustrations were starting to grade on him like foreign dignitaries, and it was starting to show.
âChrysalis, if you think showing mercy and kindness is being stupid and incompetent, then Iâm sorry to say, you have some serious problems.â Thoraxâs voice began to raise in volume. His tone starting to gain elements of his frustration, stress...and hint of guilt.
âMercy is for the weaklings, like you!â Chrysalisâ enraged monologue seemed to have no end. âYou were always the least capable, so pathetic! It really shouldnât have surprised me that you would plot to overthrow me!â That remark caught Thorax off guard.
âWhat?â His face perfectly reflected how perplexed he was
âDonât play dumb with me, you filthy rat ! You lead your pathetic âfriendsâ to my empire, so that you could bump me out of the picture and take it all for yourself!â Chrysalis grinded her teeth, as she spit on the ground. Every second her rage grew. Every time she spoke, it was like her voice got louder.
âWe were trying to save all the ponies that you kidnaped. We never planning to usurp you!â Thoraxâs attempts to remain stoic were quickly crumbling. Like a sandcastle at high-tide.
âOh, an after thought Iâm sure ,â Chrysalis sarcastically retorted, âEven if that were true, The Princesses would have me executed!â She continued loudly.
âYou could have at least tried talking to them,â Thorax responded, âtheir not those kinds of rulers. Celestia most of all!â His voice had become one of a pony who was weary of pointing out other, better options. Chrysalis simply continued her sarcastic retorts.
âGasp! Whatâs this? Diplomacy?â Chrysalis continued, âThis is surprising! Especially coming from a slimey, thieving bug!â Tears began to form behind Thoraxâs eyes. But it was not because of Chrysalisâ name calling.
âI didnât steal anything from you!â His voice had become shaky as he tried not to let himself go.
âLiar! You say didnât seal the Crown, the Throne, the Hive?â Chrysalis obviously did not believe him. âWell then, if you didnât steal them, how did come to have them? How does a pathetic, incompetent rat like you come into so much power?â She glared at him, expecting an answer to her question.
â...âSilence was all he could offer.
âYouâre such a disappointment. I can practically smell the guilt coming off you.â Her comment did not end there. âOh, but you think itâs something that I did. Well go on then âOh great and wise rulerâ, what did I do. What great atrocity did I commit.â She continued to wait for an answer.
â...â Thorax was at his limit.
âANSWER ME, you coward! WHAT DID I DO!â Chrysalis shouted
âYOU ABANDONED EVERYTHING!!!â But Thorax was much, much louder. He was clearly trying not to cry. âYou left it all behind!!! Everything you had! Everything you ever built!! Everything you ever LOVED !!!â Chrysalis was frozen, had never heard Thorax yell before. In fact, noling had heard him even shout for a second. Not as an imp or a grown seeker. And it did not end there. âYou left your Crown, your Throne, your Hive, YOUR PEOPLE!!! You ABANDONED US! You were offered a chance to lead us into a new Golden Age, and you threw it away for WHAT?! Some half-baked plan that would fail harder than your attempt to ruin someponyâs WEDDING DAY?!?! â His words shook Chrysalis to her core. The amount of anger and anguish coming from him was scary. Thoraxâs breathing was heavy, shaky and his eyes were on the verge of bursting into tears. âYOU left the throne behind Chrysalis. Someling had to pick it up. Maybe not willingly, but someling had to.â After many more heavy breaths and silence, Thorax took action. With a glow of his horn and regal antlers, he invoked the hive-mind, and called forth 4 Changeling guards. They entered hastily and stopped just in front of Chrysalis, who had her head hung low. No longer in anger, but in shame. The guards made their presence known.
âYou called Your High-- uh, Thorax?â At this point, Thorax had forgotten about his pet peeves. He turned his attention to two of the guards.
âEscort Chrysalis to the Infirmary. Make sure she receives proper medical care. Am I understood?â Thoraxâs voice was rained from all the yelling he had done, and his voice was still shaky and low. However, the guards did not ask any questions. They gave a simple nod, took up the chains and began to take Chrysalis to see the doctor. She made no attempt to resist the troopers leading her away. As they left, the other two stepped closer to the Throne. Thorax turned his attention to them.
âHave a room prepared for Chrysalis to stay in, and make sure itâs comfortable. She will be escorted to the room after she as recovered. Am I understood?â Once again they gave a simple nod, and went off to perform their assigned task. For the second time that day, the Throne Room doors closed, once again leaving Thorax alone in the quiet. But it was no longer a comforting provider of peace. It was unsettling, and only gave him goosebumps. He hated the large empty space. He needed to get out of there. In a flash, he was in his personal chambers. He slowly walked over to the vanity in his room. He sat in front of it and just stared at his reflection. His eyes finally gave up. He just sat in front of the vanityâŚ
and cried.
Author's Note
And you wonder why I added the drama tag.
âThorax?â Pharynx was walking down the hallway towards the Royal Chambers, âyou werenât in the Throne Room. Is everything alri-â He was cut off by the sound of weeping on the other side of the door. âThorax? Brother, are you okay?â It was his turn today to worry about his adopted siblingsâ well-being.
âGo away!â Thorax shouted. He sounded like a foal. Normally, Pharynx would switch into military mode and tell him to âgrow upâ or âpull yourself togetherâ, but he knew better then that. Still, he had to get in there.
âBrother, please. Youâre not going to feel any better if you donât talk to someling aboutâŚwhateverâs eating you. So please, can I come in?â Pharynx heard Thorax sniffle a few times. He thought it would take more convincing, but fortunately it didnât.
âOkayâ Thorax said in a small voice, still sounding like a child.
âAlright, Iâm coming in.â Pharynx took a deep breath, bracing himself. Surely the room wasnât as bad as he thought, right?
Wrong . The room was a mess. Mainly the bed where his brother lay sniffling and crying. The sheets and blankets were a wrinkled, balled-up mess. The pillows ranged from a few spots, to damp and wet. And in the middle of it all, lay Thorax. His eyes were puffy, his nose red, and his face was stained with tears that had long since dried, with only a few stragglers to speak of. At the site of this, Pharynx really went into âbig brother modeâ.
âOh, bro whatâs wrong?â His voice was still gruff and grizzled, but was comforting. It made him easier to talk to. With a sniff, Thorax told him what was wrong.
âI-I broke,â he whimpered, âI broke. I yelled, I screamed, and I let myself go. I snapped in front of Chrysalis, when I was trying to be kind. I didnât act like the level-headed king everyling expects me to be.â Pharynx knew what this was: Thorax wasnât meeting his own expectations. That and he was angry at himself for yelling at Chrysalis (for one reason or another). Fortunately, he knew how to remedy this.
âHey, bro itâs okay. Itâs not bad that you yelled.â Pharynx said as he pet the top of Thoraxâs head.
âH-how can you be sure?â Thorax said his voice was shaky, still trying to recover from his long minutes of weeping.
âBecause, youâre not the first Equestrian ruler to let themselves go.â Pharynx had the perfect idea, âYou know who else has yelled at their guests?â
âWho, King Sombra?â Thorax said, managing a small attitude through his sadness.
âNope,â Pharynx said with a smile, âPrincess Celestia.â Thorax looked up with a bit of surprise.
âYep, I should know. I was there after all.â Pharynx made the statement with a tad of pride, as he put a hoof to his chest.
âYou were?â Thoraxâs voice and eyes had gained a bit of childlike wonder. With a prideful nod Pharynx recounted a tale from before âThe Great Changeâ, as it was called, of when he was on an espionage mission, and Celestia had torn into a particularly annoying nobel-pony. Thorax couldnât help but laugh when his brother told the story. It made him feel better.
âSo you see, every ruler snaps at some point. And itâs okay.â
Thorax managed to lift himself onto his hoofs. âI guessâŚbut I-â he was stopped by his brother.
âLook, take a shower and go clean yourself up. Iâll make us some tea, and we can keep talking about this, okay?â Thorax nodded and the two hugged each other a two siblings would. However, as Pharynx began to make the tea, and he started the shower, Thorax wondered how he would explain what he wanted to do about Chrysalis. The warm water helped.
Author's Note
I'm back!! And with a new chapter no less!
I think this is a good time to talk about chapter length: It's going to be inconsistent (like my life). This is because that there are cases where shorter chapters make for a better told story, rather then cramming in a whole bunch of story that doesn't fit, and only works if it's in its own chapter. In short, there are going to be (a lot) of times where I sacrifice consistent chapter length, for the sake of a consistent, better told story.
Any way enough of my rambling. Leave a comment, drop a like, and hit that Favorite button (if you're feeling generous)
Chapter 5: A Plan of Action
The smell of tea was strong, and filled the room. It was the kind of sent that brought to mind warm memories and good feelings. It was something that would be needed if Thorax wanted to survive the next few minutes. He had to tell Pharynx what he intended to do. He took a seat across from his brother at the small table, and began to drink.
âFeel better now?â Pharynx asked, still being calm and kind. Thorax looked up from his cup.
âYes, I do feel a lot better, butâŚâ Thorax looked off to the side at nothing in particular.
âBut, what?â Pharynx leaned forward, a bit confused.
âI...I still feel bad about yelling at Chrysalis.â Thorax sounded a bit down when he said that.
âYeah, I was wondering about that.â Pharynx said âWhat do you intended to do with her, anyway?â
âWellâŚ,â Thorax hesitated for a moment, âI have an idea...but I donât think youâll like it.â
âWhy do I get the feeling that this is going to make me angry?â Pharynx spoke with a bit of concern in his voice.
âPharynx, just promise me you wonât yell. Thereâs been enough of that todayâ the young king pleaded.
âThorax, I-â His resistance was met by Thorax doing his best puppy dog face. It was a face that Pharynx hated because, when coming from his brother, it was almost impossible to deny. Eventually, the stone-faced general caved. âGrrâŚOh, alright Iâll try my best. But, no promises.â
âThank you, Pharynx.â Thorax felt a wave of relief wash over him.
âAlright, so whatâs this plan of yours?â Pharynx stood himself up straight as Thorax walked over to him. Surely this plan wasnât as bad as he thought, right?
âWell, what I want to do isâŚâ Thorax whispered his idea into his brotherâs earâŚwhose eyes practically bulged.
~~~~~~~~~<
The Changeling farmer Kick-back was once again distracted by a muffled but loud noise coming from the hive, the fourth time that day. It was honestly starting to get annoying.
âI swear, this place gets weirder everyday.â He shook his head and went back to his crops.
~~~~~~~~~~<
âYou want to do WHAT!!!â Pharynxâs protest added to the repeated instances of shouting that day.
âYou said you wouldnât get mad!â Thorax was a tad upset and worried. He was scared that Pharynx would react strongly to this, but still hoped for the opposite. Or at least, a less extreme response.
âI said would try my best not to, and that is outside my range of effort.â Pharynx shook his head before looking up again. âI mean, you want to keep her here?â
âYes.â
âAnd youâre not going to tell the Princesses?â
âYesâ
âWhy?! Itâs not like theyâll send her to the galowes, of which they have none!â
âItâs not the Princesses Iâm worried about Pharynx, itâs the people!â Thorax stated âThe ponies of Equestria will have a riot. Theyâll be up in hoofs, demanding that Chrysalis be seriously punished!â
âWould you expect anything less?â Pharynx questioned loudly.
âNo, but thatâs not the point. They would storm the gates of Canterlot Castle.â Thorax said with pleading eyes, wanting so badly for Pharynx to see what he was trying to say.
âNo one can keep a secret from everyone Pharynx, you know this!â Thorax exclaimed, âEventually, some guard will have one too many drinks and say one too many things at the bar, or one of the more gossiping servants will be at a hair salon, and if that happens itâs all over. Everypony from The Crystal Empire to Starlightâs old village would know about it a day later!â
âDonât you mean everypony from The Crystal Empire to Appleosa?â Pharynx questioned.
âDoes it matter? The fact is, it would get out eventually, and definitely sooner that we would like. So no, we are not giving her to the Princessesâ declared Thorax. Pharynx put a hoof to his forehead, rubbing it a bit.
âOkay, but will you at least tell the Princesses and The Elements of Harmony?â Pharynx proposed.
âAre you kidding!â Thorax exclaimed âNo disrespect to The Elements, but they are not the best ones to go to with thisâ
âWhy?â
âRarity loves to gossip, Twilight would do a number of crazy things, and no offense to Applejack, but I trust her with secrets as far as I can throw her. And thatâs not very far.â Thorax took a deep breath as he continued to point out the lack of options, âAs for the Princesses, Celestia isnât an issue, but Luna would probably declare war, and I donât want to even imagine what Cadence and Shining Armor would do!â That last point was very much valid. Thorax put his hoof down on the table, if to point at a spot on a map. âThis land is not about violently destroying anyone that threatens the peace, in order to keep said peace. Itâs about communicating, negotiating. Itâs about finding a middle ground that everyone can stand on and be happy and at peace.â Pharynx pondered for a second and then asked a serious question.
âWhat else?â He asked in a stern voice. Thorax seemed confused by this.
âWhat do you mean, âWhat elseâ?â
âYouâre not a politician, Thorax. Itâs why youâre so likable, you tell the truth. Thereâs more to this than just the political uproar that would be caused. So, I will ask again, what else is there?â He stared at Thorax expecting the elaboration he knew he was going to get.
â*sigh* I-I want Chrysalis to feel welcome. Like we havenât given up on her, that donât resent her. I want her to belong because...because I care.â Thoraxâs eyes were filled with emotions, hopes, dreams, prayers, âI want to help her. I want to bring her home.â
Pharynx looked at his brother, âYou realise, what you want to do here is dangerous right?â
âYes.â
âAnd illegal. We could be court-martialed for this.â
âYes, I do.â
Pharynx closed his eyes with his head tilted down at the table. He then uttered a single word, âOkay.â
âLook, Pharynx I know you donât like this, but I really justâWhat?â
Pharynx raised his head to meet his brotherâs confused gaze, âI said, okay.â
Thorax continued to stare, âWhy?â
Pharynx leaned forward as he held his stern expression, âLet me make something clear. This plan of yours, is stupid.â He said unapologetically, âItâs a stupid, crazy, and basically impossible idea.â
Thorax rolled his eyes, âThanks, thatâs really supportive.â
âDonât start sassing me, Thorax.â Pharynx shot back, âYour plan is everything I just said... but,â he continued, âif there is one Changeling I know that can pull off stupid, crazy, and impossible ideas, itâs you Thorax. So if you think you can make this work, well then Iâm with you all the way.â
Thorax was stunned by his brotherâs support, âY-You mean it?â
âCompletely.â
âI-Iâm speechless. I donât know what to say!â
âYou donât need to say anything.â Pharynx reassured. âWhat you do need to do, is figure out how youâre going to approach this. From how you described it, you gave Chrysalis quite the verbal thrashingâ Pharynx reminded.
âYeah, I did didnât I?â
âIndeed. Not the best first step. So what are you going to do about it?
Thorax pondered for a moment. As he looked down at his cup of tea, an idea struck him, âI think Iâve got it!â
Author's Note
Guess what I made a reference to in this chapter.
First one to guess right in the comments gets a shout-out!
She would not come out. Day after day she did not leave her room. It had become something of a ritual. Every morning a Changeling would walk down to Chrysalisâ quarters with breakfast. When they walked in, she would be sitting on the bed with her back turned to the door, staring at the wall. When they came back to pick up the tray, so little of the food was eaten. The same thing happened with every other meal. And with every meal, there was a cup of tea, which Thorax made himself every time. He meant for it to be an apology of sorts. It came with a little card and everything. And everyday, the cup would be untouched. It was also brought to his attention that Chrysalis had been scratching tic marks onto the wall. There was a new one every day. It had been two weeks since Chrysalisâ arrival, and all this bad news was starting to really eat at him. His desk was cluttered with papers that he barely bothered to look at. What he was most concerned about was Chrysalis.
Thorax planted his face onto the table, âWhat am I doing wrong?â He thought out loud.
Pharynx, who was going through the papers on the desk, addressed his brother without looking up, âPersonally I think itâs more of what you are doing.â
âNot helping here.â
âListen,â Pharynx said, âI donât know what to say to you. You have done a lot in the past two weeks. Maybe itâs time to change tactics.â
Thorax picked his head back up, âIâve been trying to make her feel at home!â
âAnd yet sheâs treating this like a prison.â
Thorax threw his hoofs up, âHow can she? Iâve given her a room, made sure she is given respect, and invited her to everything from breakfast to the gardens.â
âWell itâs clearly going to take more then a few hot meals to make her come out of the shell sheâs made for herself.â Pharynx continued to look through the documents, when a question came up, âHave you tried giving the invitations in person?â
Thorax shook his head a little, âNooooo.â
âThorax youâre going to have to face her some time. It would be better if you invited her yourself.â
âEven if I yelled at her?â Thorax asked.
Pharynx nodded, âYou want to show you still care, right? Thatâs how.â
âBut-I,âThorax sighed, âYouâre right. But what am I going to?â
Pharynx put a hoof to his chin, âIt would have to be some kind of spectacle. A real site-to-see.â
âI could take her for a tour of the hive.â
Pharynx shook his head, âToo little.â
Thorax went down his mental list, âThrow her a Changeling Gourd Festival?â
âToo much.â
Another one off the list, âOh maybe the theater club could-!â
Pharynx glared, âNO. Just NO.â
Thorax pouted. There had to be something entertaining he could invite her to. In his deep thought his eyes glanced over a letter from Shining Armor. It reminded him of the fact that he would eventually have to tell everypony else about this. He cringed at the thought. However, upon closer inspection, he noticed that the letter included an interesting detail. A detail that made a light bulb go off in Thoraxâs head.
âPharynx,â Thorax asked, âdo you have a new group of trainees coming in tomorrow?â
Pharynx looked up from the documents before him, âFrom Canterlot and The Crystal Empire,yes. Shining is too busy with politics to train the recruits himself, so heâs sending them over to me. Why do you ask?â
Thorax got a bright glow in his eyes, and a smile formed on his face, âIâve got an idea!â
Pharynx frowned a bit, âI donât like where this is going.â he said dubiously.
âTrust me, you will!â
âAnd what makes you say that?â
âBecauseâŚâ Thorax leaned over to Pharynx and whispered the idea into his ear. Pharynxâs eyes widened, and jaw dropped in disbelief. He turned to Thorax with that expression still plastered on his face.
Pharynx blinked a few times, âYou-you want me to-â
âYep.â Thorax said with a gleeful smile still on his face.
âA-And youâre letting me-â
âMhm.â
âAnd I get to-?â
âOh yeah.â
The corners of Pharynxâs gaping mouth began to turn upward, âWho are you, and what have you done with my brother?â, he said with a big smile, as he gave Thorax a playful noogie. âOh you are the best little brother!â It was rare for the general to show his childish side.
âPharynx, stop!â Thorax said with a bit of laughter in his voice. He managed to get his older brother off him, both of their faces bearing a smile.
âBut for real, are you serious about this?â
Thorax nodded, âYes, as long as you maintain some restraint, you have my permission.â The duo began to walk towards the door, âBesides, I think it would be fun to see their reaction.â
Pharynx raised an eyebrow in a bit of confusion, âThe troopsâ, or Chrysalisâ?â
âMmm,â Thorax pondered for a moment, âbit of both.â
And so, the two set off, excitedly awaiting what would come tomorrow
Author's Note
And her it is! Chapter 6!
Now, a bit of important information.
First of all, I am not going to have the time to extensively work on this story for all of next week (As if I have the time now ). The reason for this is because starting May 7th through all of that week, my school is taking me and a host of other students on a trip to Canada(Yes, my school does that). However, I promise I will take what ever time I can to work on this project. I like working on this, and I have an obligation to you guys to update this and reassure you that this is not one of those stories, where "incomplete" is the equivalent of "canceled/abandoned". So remember: There is still more to come.
Second, I am disappointed that no one got the reference I made in the last chapter, or even attempted to guess. As such, I will make similar references, and I refuse to say what they are referencing until, A: Somepony guesses correctly, or B: The story is complete.
Anyways, have a wonderful day.
Chapter 7: Contemplation of an Invitation
Chrysalis sat on the bed in total silence. She didnât know what to do. Under normal circumstances, she would be plotting her escape. She would be manipulating those around her to perform a subtle coup on the the ones in power.
But these were not normal circumstances. Now, she felt no will to fight, no right to be enraged. And it as all because of Him . Thorax, the newly crowned king of Changelings.
âThe rightful king of Changelingsâ Chrysalis thought to herself. It had been at least two weeks since she arrived, but it didnât feel like it. It felt shorter than that. It felt like she had only served a few seconds of the sentence that she deserved. For the crimes that Thorax brought to her attention. It felt like that day hadnât ended. She remembered everything. The site of Thoraxâs face was burned into her vision. It was everywhere she looked. There was only a wall in front of her, but her mind said otherwise. The sound of his shouting was unparalleled, as it echoed through her thoughts. But they were nothing compared to his words . The words that were laced with anger, sorrow. They rang in her ears without end. Their poison paralyzed her, as their fire burnt her to a crisp. Chrysalis had been called a âmonsterâ and a âvillainâ before, but nothing like this. She could still remember everything in cold, crisp detail.
âYou left your Crown, your Throne, your Hive, YOUR PEOPLE!!! You ABANDONED US!!!â The words stayed on repeat. Chrysalis couldnât tell if Thorax was still yelling at her, or if she was yelling at herself. The sound of hoof-steps from down the hall reached her ears, but she hardly cared or noticed. It was probably just another meal that she couldnât bring herself to eat.
âW-Why are they giving me such privileges?â She asked herself as tears began to form. Her subconscious kept reinforcing the same message âI failed the hive, failed the Changelings.â She looked at her hole filled hooves, âI brought nothing but misery to my kind!â The steps were right outside her door, âI...I donât deserve-â
A knock came at the door, â*knock*, *knock*, *knock* Chrysalis?â A small gasp escaped her lungs. Chrysalis knew that voice. And it terrified her.
âHey...can I come in?â Thoraxâs voice was soft, and gentle. Much like how it was before...she shuddered at the thought. âI, uh...Iâd like to talk to you.â Chrysalis started to panic a bit, when Thorax continued to speak from beyond the door, âUh, itâs nothing bad! Youâre not in trouble. I⌠just wanted to talk.â
Chrysalisâ panicked train of thought suddenly stopped, âNot...in...trouble?â The sentence confounded her. How was she not in trouble? She dwelled on the thought a minute. âM-Maybe I shouldâŚ?â Her subconscious reasserted itself, there was no way she could face Thorax. âI donât deserve to,â she thought, âI donât deserve his mercy.â
In all her time thinking, however, she didnât realize that she had absent-mindedly walked over to the door, and put her hoof on the door. In the moment she became conscious of this, Chrysalis mentally recoiled. Her mind screamed to stop, but her body had other plans.
~~~~~~~~<
When Chrysalis opened the door, Thorax was almost going to leave, thinking that Chrysalis was asleep. Thankfully, she opened the door. Her head hung down, as she slowly stepped to the side, letting Thorax into the room. He slowly walked into the room with a small awkward, and nervous smile. As he came in, Chrysalis closed the door and the room became very dark.
âJeez, youâd think open a window in here.â Thorax joked in an attempt to lighten the mood, but Chrysalis had no visible reaction. He gave a heavy sigh, and tried to work up his nerves, âCome on Thorax. You can do this. You just got to ask her, simple as that!â
He turned around with a warm hopeful look only to find that Chrysalis was still sitting by the door, with her side to him. The site of this made something click in Thorax. He walked over to the bed and hopped up onto it. He then got Chrysalisâ attention, patting the spot next to him. To this, Chrysalis had a visible reaction. Her hair moved to reveal a surprised look in her eye.
There was a long period where noling said or did anything. About a minute passed, before Chrysalis slowly turned and walked to sit next to Thorax on the bed. Her posture and movements made it seem like her legs were made of lead and was carrying a ton of bricks. She stopped short of the bedside, hesitant with an aura of fear. Thorax motioned to the spot again, mustering up the warmest smile possible under the circumstances.
âItâs okay,â he said warmly, âI told you, I just wanna talk.â With that reassurance, Chrysalis slowly climbed up to sit next to Thorax on the bed. Thorax turned to face the former queen, though she kept her head down, refusing to meet his gaze.
Thorax took a deep breath, âLook Chrysalis,â He said, âWe canât keep doing this whole, âWeâre bitter at each other and sad about what weâve done, so weâre not going to talk to each otherâ thing. At some point, we are going to have to address the draconequus in the room.â Thorax held his breath for a moment, half expecting Discord to show up in that instance. He continued breathing when the creature in question didnât suddenly appear.
Chrysalis tensed up, however, fully expecting another verbal assault, in one form or another. The words she expected to hear immediately formed in her head. âYouâre harboring a criminal and this was all temporary care, and you need to send me to the Princesses to face justice for my-â
âIâve been a terrible host to you.â Thorax said with a bit of sadness in his voice. âYouâre my guest and I should have came to talk to you in-person sooner rather than later.â
Once again Chrysalisâ train of thought was completely stopped, âW-What? What is he on about? Me? Guest? Host?â She didnât know what was happening.
Thorax looked at Chrysalis in her one visible eye with a hopeful look, âBut Iâm here now, and Iâm going to make it right.â He reached his hoof out, âChrysalis, I would like to personally invite you to a special, surprise event that me and Pharynx organized special for you.â Thoraxâs eyes were hopeful, praying for one answer above all. âWould you like to attend?â
Chrysalis slowly glanced between Thoraxâs expecting hoof and his hopeful expression. She had no way to rationalize what was happening to her in this moment. Her self-presentation instincts began dictating her thoughts. âItâs a trick! Heâll just snatch his hoof away and berate you for even thinking youâre worth his mercy!â Chrysalisâ conscious mind quietly responded, âHeâs done it once before. I can take another one.â She began to lift her hole-filled hoof to shake the one Thorax was holding out. Her survival instincts made her pull back a-bit half way. It screamed at her, âThe event they prepared if probably your execution! Youâll be publicly hung from the gallows!!!â Chrysalis sighed as she thought to herself, âIf thatâs the case⌠itâs not like I donât deserve it.â She took a deep breath, and finally shook Thoraxâs hoof, giving a simple, âYes⌠I will.â
Thoraxâs eyes light up like fireworks, as the corners of his mouth turned upward. He had gotten Chrysalis to speak and accept his invitation. âT-Thatâs great!â He slightly fumbled over his words. He would have hugged her, but one step at a time. He hopped off the bed and began moving towards the door, âDo you...need a minute to get ready?â
Chrysalis turned her head slightly towards his to look at him. âIâll be out in a moment.â she said quietly.
âAlright. Iâll be right outside.â Thorax went out the door and closed it behind him. Leaving Chrysalis alone again. She walked towards the mirror in her room and stared at it. She then slowly began to straighten out her appearance...
As she let a few silent tears fall to the floor.
Author's Note
Well, I'll be off to Canada soon. I'll see you in the future. I will be back, and maybe with another chapter to.
Love you guys
Chapter 8: A General Performance
Chrysalis emerged from her room a minute or two later. She didnât do too much to her look. She had brushed, un-knotted, and straightened her hair, as well as wash her face. But aside from that, there were no other alterations. It wasnât like Thorax minded though. He would have been just as happy if Chrysalis had âYesâ, and left immediately. She was getting out of that room, and that was what mattered. Still, complements where they are due.
âYou look great!â He said with some enthusiasm.
Chrysalis winced as her eyes adjusted to the light of the hallway. âT-Thank you...Your Majesty.â She said, almost as quiet as Fluttershy. Thoraxâs smile faltered just a tad. Chrysalisâ quiet voice was another indication of her lack of comfort. And...she called him âYour Majestyâ. âYour Majestyâ . Of all the things he expected her to call him, that was not one of them. He didnât stress about it though. He just viewed it as another obstacle to overcome. It wouldnât exactly be easy, but it wouldnât be impossible either.
âPlease,â he said said softly with his kind smile regained, âletâs do away with the formalities. Iâm noling special. At the end of the day, Iâm just a Changeling.â The level of humility Thorax was displaying was equal to that of Celestia. It was somewhat surprising considering he went from seeker, to deserter, to king in a relatively short amount of time.
âO-Of course, sorryâ Chrysalis said quickly.
Thorax gave a small chuckle. âItâs okay.â he said. He began to walk down the hall, motioning for Chrysalis to follow. âCome on,â He said with a wave of his hoof, âWe donât want to be late.â
They walked past room, after room. Occasionally, they would walk past a Changeling, or group of them. At these moments Chrysalis felt compelled to hide, to use her shape-shifting abilities. But a pulse from the inhibitor that adorned her neck reminded her she couldnât.
Yet, when they were noticed by these Changelings, an odd thing happened every time. Rather than be disgusted by her presence, they greeted her. They addressed them both by name, with a smile. It was as if they didnât mind her presence. As if they didnât notice that her appearance was that of a Changeling that needed to steal Love in order to survive. Or at least thought they did.
As they continued walking, one question couldnât help but come up in Chrysalisâ mind. âUh...pardon me asking, but what exactly do we not want to be late for?â She asked as they walked side by side.
Thorax looked at her with a knowing smile as he said, âThe morning drills.â
~~~~~~~~~<
Pharynx was waiting for them on the balcony that overlooked the courtyard. On the ground below, pony soldier trainees were lining up in formation, preparing to meet their drill instructor. A little grin graced Pharynxâs face at the site. There was one thing he was sure of in that moment, âThese ponies have no idea what their in for.â
The sound of hoof-steps behind him caught his attention, as he turned to see the two Changings he was waiting for.
âAh, the guests of honor!â He said. âThorax, brother! Glad to see ya!â He turned his attention to the reason they organized this. âAnd Chrysalis, good to see you out of that room of yours!â
âItâs good to see you to Pharynx.â Thorax grined. Chrysalis was stunned by the show of care from the one who technically arrested her. She didnât know what was going on. It purely confounded her. Meanwhile, the brothers continued talking as they looked out onto the courtyard.
âSo,â Thorax began, âThese are the recruits you were sent?â
Pharynx nodded, âYep.â There was a moment of science, when Pharynx turned to look at him. âIâm sorry I keep asking, but are you sure you want me to-â
âPharynx, if I didnât want you to, I would never have given you permission.â
Pharynx smiled wide, âIâve said it once, and I will say it again: You are the best .â
Thorax returned the smile. âI know.â He motioned his toward the troops gathered outside, âNow, get out there and do your thing.â
Pharynx saluted his sibling with a prideful smirk. âSir, with pleasure, Sir!â He said jokingly, as he marched off, down the steps to the courtyard.
Thoraxâs horn and antlers glowed with magic, bringing over two lounge chairs. âPlease, take a seat.â
âUmâŚâ Chrysalis spoke up after Pharynx had departed,âIf you donât mind me askingâŚwhat exactly did you give him permission to do?â She asked, as she cautiously settled into her own seat.
âI gave him permission to go âover-the-top Drill Sergeantâ on the recruits.â
Chrysalisâ mind did a double take. âWait, what?â
~~~~~~~~<
It was incredibly hot in the courtyard. The sun was bearing down on the troops. They had gotten into formation a few minutes ago and were now just waiting for their Drill Instructor to begin orientation. It was at the three minute mark, that Pharynx walked up on an elevated dirt mound in front of the recruits. He took a long hard look at ponies before him. From where he stood, it was the perfect crowd. He straightened his posture, standing tall on all four legs. Took a deep breath and prepared his voiceâŚ
And so he began.
âLISTEN UP!â Pharynx roared in his military voice, which echoed across the grounds, âI am General Pharynx, of the Changeling Defense Force. Your Captain of Guard, Shining Armor, is preoccupied running The Crystal Empire. As such, he wrote an official statement entrusting your training to me, meaning I will be acting as your Senior Drill Instructor.â
He stepped off his elevated spot to the ponies that he was prepared to break down into tiny glass shards. âHowever, if you think that changes anything, I donât think you could be more wrong. I expect you show me the same level of respect you would if Shining Armor was standing here! As such, when you are in my presence, you will speak only when spoken to, or when I explicitly give you permission. And the first and last words I want to hear out of your muzzles is âSirâ. Do you understand that?â
âSir, Yes, Sir.â the troops said with little effort.
âLIARS! I canât hear you!â Pharynx shouted, less than pleased with the reaction from the trainees. âSound off like youâve got a spine!â
âSir, Yes, Sir!â That was more to his liking.
Pharynx wasnât finished though now came the more entertaining part, âYou might be looking at yourselves and be thinking that because youâve made it this far, you have a chance. Well let me tell you something: When I received that statement from Captain Armor, I expected to be getting wagons stocked with capable fighters and potential warriors. But instead, all I got was you washed-up, backstage extras, with an accompaniment of rejects!!!â His voice was thunderous, rattling the bones of the ponies he stood before. âYou-all-reak of economic instability and teenage angst! Every breath you take is a stunning endorsement of stupidity! You grease stains are a collective masterpiece of failure! You college dropout slackers pulled all-nighter study sessions to exhaustion ruteenly.
âThere is a concerning number of you who selfishly signed up to become legends and war heroes, and probably cried like spoiled brats when you realized that half of of your military idols are dead !! The only reason you are able to give me such stone faces is because your sensitive eyes have leaked so many tears you could sail away on a fleet of pity cruisers. Or do you think Iâm mistaken?â
The troops shouted, âSir, No, Sir!â as to not potentially anger their active Sargent.
Pharynx continued his mass orientation speech, âEach and every one of you was sent here to learn. If you end up leaving this place- if you survive recruitment training with your soul and bones intact- you will be a soldier. You will be a guardian. You will have been crafted into a sword and shield that can, and will deployed in defense of this great nation of Equestria that we all call home! But until that day comes to pass, you are all infants. Foals! Nymphs! You are the most incapable life forms on the face of the planet. You are not even capable of walking without explicit instructions. That does not mean it is impossible to teach you. This is not going to a âshow and tellâ in kindergarten, however. You will get your collective tails pulled on so hard, youâll think youâre getting sucked through an industrial printing press in Manehattan! I will reorganize the failures that is your lives. I will KICKSTART-your-SOULS!!â
âSir, Yes, Sir!â The troops did not show the fact that they were terrified, but it was obvious that they were.
âBecause I am strict and stern, you will not like me. But if I were anything less you would not learn. I am strict, but I am fair. If I despise you, it is because of what you have done and who you are, not what you are. There is no bigotry of any kind here. I do not discriminate between Mares and Colts. I do not favor Earth Ponies, Pegasi, or Unicorns. I do not look down on Griffins, Hippogriffs, Dragons, or Yaks. Here you all stand on equal footing. Here you are all equally worthless. Meaning that you will all subjected to the same level of punishment and reward, as my orders are to weed out every slacker who doesnât deserve to serve in Captain Armorâs beloved corp. I will chop off your unkempt tails, put them where your tongues should be. Cover you in paper-mache, and beat you like a pinata! Heck, Iâll make you howl so much youâd put Timberwolves out of business. But fear not! Because by the time this is over, I will have turned you capable few into the warriors that Equestria needs! Do you understand that?â
âSir, Yes, Sir!â
âLIARS!!â Pharynx roared again, âI canât hear you!â
âSIR, YES, SIR!!â
Author's Note
In memory of R. Lee Ermey
I'm back from Canada! And with a new chapter no less!
Chapter 9: Of Mind and Body
There was no doubt about it, the pony soldiers under Pharynxâs care were terrified, as the Changeling General began his individual chew-outs. However, while there was fear in the courtyard, there was anything but that coming from a high up balcony.
~~~~~~<
Thorax was hysterical. He was doubling over in laughter, tears in his eyes, almost falling out of his chair. Chrysalis on the other hoof, was stunned , her mouth agape. Never in her life had she seen, or heard for that matter, such a thing. A large part of her somewhere felt like she should be afraid, terrified even, like the trainees down below. And yet, for some reason, she feltâŚamused . She found the whole ordealâŚsomewhat funny. It wasnât out of some kind of fetish for the misery of others (She knew too well what that felt like). It was the kind of amusement that came from watching a stand-up comedy routine. There were several times where she had snorted, chuckled or let out a laugh outright, covering her mouth with a hoof in shock at herself. Part of her felt bad, and another part felt good. âWhy!?â Chrysalis mentally questioned herself, as she became aware of the sound of Thoraxâs laughter again.
The king took a few breaths. While he wasnât completely laughed out, he had calmed to the point he could form a coherent sentence. He invoked the hive-mind and telepathically contacted his brother. âHow-*snort* H-How long were you holding that in for?â Thorax said, verbally expressing his question.
âSince the day you made stop, broâ Pharynx mentally responded, without a word leaving his mouth.
âI have to commend you on your patience.â
âUmâŚâ Chrysalis got Thoraxâs attention.
âYes, Chrysalis?â
âP-Pardon me asking, but why did you find that whole thing funny? I mean, was it not somewhat cruel?â
Thorax collected himself so that he could give a proper answer. âWell yes, it is, but a lot of that was exaggerated for the purpose of scaring them a bit.â
âI get that, but why is it funny?â She needed the answer partly for herself.
âWell, part of it is because itâs so over-the-top. Another part is that itâs so absurd. But itâs mostly because I know the reason itâs so absurd and over-the-top.â
Chrysalis tilted her head, slightly confused, âAnd that reason is?â
Thorax chuckled a bit, âPretty much everything he just saidâŚâ he paused for a moment, âhe made up right then and there.â
There was a long pause as Chrysalis had to process the explanation. âWhat?â
âYeah.â Thorax said. âI mean, he memorizes the rules and regulations. But how he presents them, and everything in-between is entirely made up on the spot. By his own admission. In fact weâve made it into a kind of game to try and keep a straight face all the way through one of his âorientation speechesââ.
After another few seconds of silence, something came up Chrysalisâ throat. It wasnât anything sick. It was a sound. It wasâŚa chuckle. Then that chuckling turned into a small laugh. And then, it became a full fit of laughter. It wasnât an evil, malicious laugh. It was genuine laughter. It was a good hearted fit. One that both she and Thorax shared in.
â*snort* H-How many breaths did he take that whole thing?â Chrysalis asked.
âI stopped counting after the âcollege dropoutâ part, HAHAHA!â Thorax said through his giggles.
The two continued gleefully discussing Pharynxâs antics. And for a while, Chrysalis forgot about her past, her fear, everything that made her so quiet and distant.
âSo just wondering,â Chrysalis began, âyou stick around for the rest of orientations?â She looked out at the courtyard where Pharynx was still going through the process of interrogating individual troops.
âAll the time, just in case he needs me.â
âYou really have seen a lot of improvement ever sinceâŚâ Chrysalis stopped. All of her painful memories were beginning to come back to her. The invasions, the wars, the misery.
However, they were interrupted by Thorax. âItâs far from perfect. And we still have our problems.â
âWhat do you mean? What kind of problems?â
Thorax rubbed the back of his neck, âWell itâs mainly because of me.â
âWhat?â Chrysalis was taken aback by the statement. âHow can that be? Youâve been such a good leader as far as I can tell.â She was expecting the problems to be related to her time as ruler creating stigma and racism towards Changeling kind.
âYes, but Iâm not a good politician.â Thorax said. âIâm terrible at meetings. Iâve angered a few dignitaries, said the wrong things at the wrong times, and apparently according to a few Iâm âtoo truthfulâ.â It was clear that Thorax found the last one somewhat ridiculous. âAnd in the case of me being a leaderâŚIâve made big mistakes. There are times where I donât know what to do. And when I go to my brother and the people, they donât know what I should do. So then I end up making a decision that could do great good or bad.â Memories were now flooding into Thoraxâs mind. Embarrassing moments, small crises, and so on.
He took a deep breath collecting himself, âItâs times like those that I wish I had someling to help me rule.â
Chrysalis tilted her head in a bit of confusion. âYou mean like aâŚ?â
âN-Not like a Queen.â Thorax hurriedly responded.
âWell then, what do you mean?â
Thorax sighed, looking out into the distance. âWhat I mean isâŚa mentor. Someling to teach me and guide me. Someling who can help me grow as a leader. Like a...â Thorax didnât continue. He just seemed to look down at the floor.
âThorax?â Chrysalis broke Thorax from his thoughts. He shook his head and smiled.
âIâve rambled on long enough about me.â He said kindly. âI think my brother can take care of himself from here. How about we get some lunch?â
As they left the balcony, Chrysalis could only wonder what Thorax was going to say earlier. At least they were going to have a meal which, despite her current state of mind, was never a necessarily bad experience.
~~~~~~~~~<
If Chrysalis had known earlier that they were going to be having lunch in a public area in the Hive she would have ran to her room like there was no tomorrow, and locked the door as if a monster was on the other side. She felt terribly stressed. She was essentially in a room surrounded by witnesses to her failure as the leader of a kingdom and a provider to her people. With every passing second, Chrysalis fully expected for at least one of the Changelings in the mass dining hall to come up to her in a fit of rage, and berate her. Maybe even attack her. And yet such a thing never came to pass.
A new voice then broke her from her contemplation of the situation.
âAh, Bonjour Monsieur Thorax!â Said their waitress with obvious enthusiasm, and a clear Prench accent.
Thorax waved a hoof in greeting. âHello Tibia! Itâs good to see you too.â It seemed clear that Thorax was more sociable and active in communicating with the Hive.
Tibia looked to the black Changeling and former queen who was also at the table. Chrysalis smiled nervously, waving a hoof as she shrank into her seat when Tibia laid eyes on her.
Their next sentence, however, was anything but degrading, âOh, Madam Chrysalis! It is a pleasure to serve you in-pony.â There wasnât a hint is fear or sarcasm in her sentence. She was genuinely happy.
âSoâŚmuchâŚkindnessâ Chrysalis seemed to be getting surprised a lot recently. âWhy?â She also seemed to be asking herself a lot of questions that apparently had no answers.
âSo what can I get you for today?â Tibia asked, pulling out a small notepad.
Thorax eyed the menu for a moment. âI think Iâll have the usual casserole.â
Tibia frowned a little, âMonsieur, you really should order some of the more substantial dishes I can provide.â
âItâs just lunch Tibia,â He said, âI donât think Iâd be able to eat anything for the rest of the day if I ordered your famous âRoyal Flushâ.â
âStill, I didnât spend 4 years studying the culinary arts abroad in Prance, just so you could order a glorified salad.â
Thorax jokingly rolled his eyes, âPerhaps for a special occasion.â
Tibia sighed, âAs you wish.â She then turned to Chrysalis. âNow, the real question is: what exotic dish can I get you Madam Chrysalis?â
A million bells went off in Chrysalisâ head. âItâs a trick!â Her mind started shouting, âTheyâll poison the meal! Get back to the room! At least thereâs a chance to survive the trap thatâs been laid there!â
The whole thing was laid out in her head. All she had to say was âexcuse me for a momentâ, and once out of site, run all the way back to her room. She looked at the menu, then to Tibia, and then to Thorax. She looked back at the menu. Chrysalis opened her mouth to speak, andâŚ
âUm...Surprise me?â Chrysalis said, a bit unsure of her request.
âOh, mon Dieu!â Tibia said. âNoling has asked me to do that in a long time!â
Uh-I mean-if itâs not too much trouble. S-Sorry for-â
âNo, no Madam, itâs fine. You just caught me off guard, thatâs all.â Tibia gave a small chuckle. âNow, as for your orderâŚâ Tibia leaned in close to Chrysalis, putting a hoof to her chin. She scrutinized her, tilted her head, giving a few âHrmâs and âHmmâs throughout the process. It made Chrysalis feel somewhat uncomfortable.
After a minute, Tibia shouted, âEureka! I know just what to get you!â She scribbled something on her notepad. âDonât worry, youâll love it! In the meantime, Iâll have a bottle of Vintage Extract sent over to you and be back in a few minutes!â She then ran off with a spring in her step. In the distance she could be heard saying, âSacrebleu, I am a genius!â
~~~~~~~~~<
If one could hear the amount of internal screaming coming from Chrysalisâ mind, it would undoubtedly rattle their ear drums at a minimum. She was thinking one thing, and doing something completely different. It seemed that there was a disconnect between what Chrysalisâ mind-her subconscious, survival instincts, etc.- thought, and what her body actually did. So much so that she was now professing in the art of kicking herself. All the while, she kept asking herself, âWhy?â âWhy am I not listening to myself? I hear what my mind is saying, but I do not act upon it. Why? JustâŚWhy?!â
âChrysalis?â Thorax spoke up, reeling her back into the real world. âYou okay?â
Chrysalis shook her head, âIâmâŚfine!â She waved her hole-filled hoof, âFit as a fiddle, really!â
Chrysalis then blinked. She looked at he hoof, which compelled Thorax to do the same. They then both thought about the analogy she made. They thought about the musical instrument referenced in the analogy. Then, back to Chrysalisâ hoof.
And they laughed a bit.
âReally!?â Her subconscious was speaking up again. âYou, are about to be poisoned in a few minutes, and you're indulging in foalish humor?! What happens when they actually manage to kill you?!â
âI told you, I deserve it!â Chrysalis mentally shouted back. âThis probably is just a progress report of sorts. A little assurance that theyâll be fine without me.â She paused her internal monologue for a moment, âBefore they send me off to that, quote unquote, Big Changeling Hive in the sky.â She mentally stared her complaining subconscious down. âThere are crimes I have committed, and I need to pay for them. I have accepted this. And so must you.â Once again, the voice of her disagreeable self, faded. Chrysalis let out a heavy internal sigh, âNow all thatâs left to do is waitâŚwait for the end to come.â
~~~~~~~~~<
When Chrysalis said âSurprise meâ, she wasnât expecting to be completely stunned. The meal that lay before her looked incredible. It was a gourmet fish dinner cooked to the purity of perfection, including garnish, olive oil, and steamed and fried roasted vegetables. It was almost too beautiful to eat.
âSurprised?â Tibia asked with a prideful little grin.
Chrysalis was wide eyed. âV-Veryâ She said stuttering due to her amazement.
âI knew you would be.â Tibia scribbled another obscure note on her pad. âAnd here is the Extract.â she pulled a wine bottle from her saddle bag and placed it on the table. âFor you Madam.â
Chrysalisâ surprise only increased, âFor me?â
âYes.â Tibiaâs ears swerved in the direction of some voice that got her attention. âExcuse me, I must be going. Bon appetit!â And so she went on her way.
Chrysalis lifted the bottle over to her with what little magic the inhibitor around her neck allowed. It was an oddity to her. She couldnât decide whether she thought it was poison or an actual drink. She could, however, think of one reliable source for answers.
âUm, what is Vintage Extract?â She asked Thorax, who was happily eating his casserole.
âOh,â He said putting his silverware down, âthatâs, uh, quite a long story.â
Chrysalis tilted her head a bit with a quizzical look. âWell, what is it?â
Thorax took a breath, âThe proper name for it is âLove Extractâ, actually.â
Chrysalis froze for a second, not quite understanding what she just heard. âIâmâŚsorryâŚWhat?â
âItâs more of a medical substance used for treatment than a beverage.â
Chrysalis brought the bottle back over, scrutinizing the label. She looked back to Thorax. âAnd what exactly is it used to treat?â
âA couple of things actually.â He said, fiddling with his food a little. âBut, mostly itâs used on Changings suffering from malnutrition. This place also serves it to those who are on record as needing it.â
Chrysalis started to panic a little. âW-Whatâs that got to do with me?â
Thorax looked up from fiddling with his casserole. âWell, Docâs been telling me that you donât have enough Love in your system. I donât want to have to send you to the emergency room, so I had them put you down as needing it.â
Chrysalis once again looked at the bottle. As she did so, two things crossed her mind. One: âThis bottle is so lavish and fancy! How is any creature supposed to know this is medicine?â And two: âHe prescribed me medication. He put me on a treatment plan as to improve and maintain my health.â At this point, death actually seemed rather appealing, if it meant that she wouldnât have to deal with the excruciating headache she had right now.
âChrysalis, you okay?â Thorax leaned towards her. He was worried that the lack of love in her system was starting to take hold.
âIâŚâ Chrysalis massaged her temples. She removed the cork from the bottle and began to pour a glass. âI think Iâll start drinking this now.â She said. âItâs probably poisoned anyhow. Itâs either this or the fishâ She thought to herself.
âGood to hear.â Thorax beamed at the fact that Chrysalis was actually going to âtake her medicineâ, as it were. He lifted up a glass of water. âA toast to the future, I guess?â
âWhy not?â Chrysalis took up her own glass, now filled with extract. Their glasses clinked together. âWell, bottoms up. Hopefully it at least tastes go-â
Chrysalisâ thought process was interrupted by the sudden wave of flavor that ignited her senses. It was sweet, soothing. A stream that tantalized her taste buds. âWhoaâŚâ She felt warm, more awake. She only then realized how deprived of energy she was.
âDonât go chugging the whole bottle now.â Thorax joked.
âOh, sorry.â
Thorax shook his head, âItâs okay, thereâs no need for apologies.â He took another bite out of his casserole. âPlease, eat. Canât let Tibiaâs foreign studies go to waste.â
Chrysalis looked at the plate before her. She suddenly felt dubious. Sure, it looked pretty, gorgeous even. But she never really found any real need for physical sustenance. Changelings could eat, but they didnât really get anything out of it. Then again, what did she know? She and a majority of her predecessors were the ones who thought the Changeling race couldnât evolve to become a self sufficient people. Granted, that belief was founded in the fact that ponies had never been very kind to Changelings, and that only just changed recently, but that wasnât the point. The point was that maybe physical food might actually be good for something.
âOkay then,â she cut a reasonable piece of the fish that had most of the seasoning, spices, and other things on it, and brought it to her mouth, âHopefully I have taste buds that are good for somethi-â
Where as the Vintage Extract came in as a wave, which became a river that allowed one to enjoy its pleasures, the main course was an explosion. Itâs flavor hit like sledgehammer, leaving behind a memorable after shock. One that demanded another bite be taken. Once again, she forgot about all her worries. Instead, Chrysalis had to put her all into creating a set of table manners and implementing them, rather then just stuffing the whole plate into her face. Of coarse, a few slightly larger than average bites wouldnât hurt.
âTibia has a funny way of knowing what ponies would love to eat.â Thorax said looking content having finished his meal.
âMmmm!â Chrysalis was still getting through her own plate. â She really does!â She covered her mouth when she realized that she was talking with food in her mouth, which was bad manners last time she checked. She was about to apologize.
âHa, ha, itâs okay.â Thorax waved off her lack of proper table edict. âIt happens to me all the time.â He kept doing that. Kept reassuring Chrysalis that everything was fine. Part of her believed him part of her didnât. And another third was just purely conflicted. She was about to take thoughtful bite, when something caught her attention. A small squeak came from beside her seat. And when she saw what made the noise, she tensed up.
Right by her was a small, purple eyed Changeling nymph with a blue carapace. The child looked up at her with curiosity and wonder. Chrysalis was some what panicked by the nymphâs presence. Several thoughts ran through her head. âHeâs probably terrified of me. Heâll run. Or worse, heâll scream, and also run. And then everyling will think I did something wrong!â
The young nymph then took a few steps forward, âOh my goodness! Okay, just stay calm donât freak out. Heâs just curious, itâs anything to worry about.â The nymph then poked at one of the holes in her legs. âAaaahhhhhh!â Chrysalis was officially in internal panic mode
The nymph poked at the holes a few more times before looking up at her again. Chrysalis nervously cracked a smile, which was the last thing she wanted to do, since it would show her fangs. Unfortunately, her facial muscles were not obeying any commands. Rather than reeling back or yelping, or anything of that kind, however, the child did something Chrysalis didnât expect in the slightest.
The nymph fluttered itâs wings, giggled and said, âCheese legs!â in a playful squeaky voice. Chrysalisâ expression shifted. That was the last thing she expected to hear. She pulled her leg away from the nymph. But the child only pursued it. The sudden advance of the young nymph lean away somewhat fearfully. She fell on her back in the process.
She hit the ground with a small, but audible âOof!â She groaned slightly before trying to right herself. However, when she lifted her head, her eyes went straight to her abdomen and saw something standing on top of her. âOh, blast. Why?â The young nymph was standing on her, beaming like a foal on Heartâs Warming. The small thing gave a laugh. Apparently, he was enjoying himself.
Thorax failed to suppress a chuckle. âLooks like youâve got yourself a new fan there.â
Chrysalis kept her eyes on the nymph, who was leaning down low as if he were a cat. Some angry part of her managed to make her give a throated growl. To that part of herâs great dismay, however, that only made the child snuggle up closer. He also started purring, as he seemed to think that was intent of the sound she made.
Then, Chrysalis slowly and shakingly lifted a hoof. She felt like she was moving against something. The disconnect between thoughts and actions was noticeable again. She started growling again (though the child in question still thought they were purrs). With the gentlest touch she could muster...she stroked the top of the childâs head, petting him.
Then in the middle of doing this, the little pseudo-pony raised a tiny hoof to Chrysalisâ snout, and booped her.Right on the nose. âD-Did he justâŚ?â The young big-pony giggled and squealed in joy and amusement. The corners of Chrysalisâ mouth curled upward. She would be quite the liar if she said the kid wasnât adorable.
âArtex? Artex?â A voice was calling a name that got the attention of the Changeling filly. The origin of the voice was a grown Changeling mare.
âWaitâŚMother!â Chrysalis had officially lost count of the amount of times she had gone into a state of panic that day(As if she were keeping track in the first place). âOh, she probably thinks I was doing something terrible!â Artex hopped off her chest as she quickly stood up. She began sputtering words in her fright. âI-I-Iâm sorry! I wasnât doing anything wrong! I-â
âArtex!â, The mother scooped up her son, âWhat did I tell you about wandering off, and bothering other Changelings?â
Artex pouted a little. âMooommy.â He said in his squeaky, somewhat upset voice.
âAh, Ah,Ah! None of the sass.â Artexâs mother made her position very clear. âNow, what do you say?â
Artex looked down to the side, rubbing his front leg with his other, âSorry, mommy.â
Artexâs mother let out a heavy breath. She then turned her attention to Chrysalis and Thorax. âI am so sorry for him bothering you.â She put her hoof on Chrysalisâ, âI hope he wasnât too much trouble.â
Thorax opened his mouth to speak, but something compelled Chrysalis to speak instead. âN-No, itâs fineâŚreally. He wasnât doing anything wrong.â
âYouâre sure?â
âThey didnât cause any trouble, Mera.â Thorax reassured, addressing the parent by name.
âWell, okay then.â Mera looked at her son. She smiled, and lightly rubbed the top of his head. She turned back to Chrysalis, and shaked her hoof. âThank you so much for handling him until I got here, mam.â Genuine gratitude and thankfulness emanated from her. Chrysalis confusion returned. The warm smiles, the compliments, the comfort. It all brought her back to the question she was asking herself earlier: âWhy?â
âWhy do they show me such kindness? Why do they treat me as if I have done no real wrong? Why?â
âUhâŚYouâre very welcome.â Chrysalis stammered out. Mera smiles and nodded in response.
âCome now Artex! Time to go.â The two began walking away from the table. Artex turned around to face the tall black Changeling that facilitated him so much.
He smiled, and waved. âBye, cheese legs!â He said, meaning no harm in the foalish name, before running off to catch up with his mother. Chrysalis only lifted her hoof a little to wave back. She was too consumed by her thoughts.
âUhâŚâ Thorax obtained Chrysalisâ attention. âAre you going to finish that?â He pointed to her plate which was three quarters of the way done. She took a good long look at it.
âIâŚI think Iâve had my fill.â She said quietly.
Thorax simply nodded. He paid for the meal, leaving a wholesum tip as well, and they made their way out.
~~~~~~~~<
They had returned to her room. Chrysalis had said that she felt rather drained by the dayâs events. While Thorax would have loved to show her around the new hive some more, he respected the wishes of his guest.
âDo you need anything before I go?â Thorax was still a little concerned. He wanted her to be as comfortable as possible.
âI think Iâll be good for now.â Chrysalis said.
âWellâŚâ Thorax still felt unsure about his tenantâs state of health, though. âOkay. Just remember, tell me if you need anything, and Iâll get it taken care of.â He put a hoof on the former Queenâs shoulder when he said that.
âO-Of course.â Chrysalis stuttered, as she began to disappear into her room.
âOh, and donât forget to take that medicine when you need it!â Thorax called out.
âI will!â Chrysalis called back before closing the door. She let out a great breath. She was stressed, questioning herself. She let her head and neck slump as she walked over to her bed.
And so she laid there. Staring up at the ceiling, floating aimlessly in an endless sea of contemplation. She lay there on her bed, asking herself all the same questions. Both the old ones from when she first arrived her, and the new ones that arose today.
That and if the fish she ate today was or wasnât poisoned.
~~~~~~<
âSo how do you think lunch went?â Pharynx and Thorax were once again at their desk, going over petitions, area reports, statical charts, and the occasional bill. Why they had bills to pay to themselves was beyond them, but they had to be folders and boxes like everything else.
âPersonally, I think it went very well.â Thorax responded without looking up from the stack of papers he was analyzing. His response was supported by the happy expression on his face. âAnd let me just say, she absolutely loved your performance.â
The Generalâs eyes glanced up for a moment, âGlad to hear that Iâve still got it.â His gaze returned to his respective stack of annoyingly long, vague, and cryptically worded legal documents. He groaned and rolled his eyes as he viewed a certain letter.
âThorax, whereâs the spam folder?â
âYou mean the trash bin?â
âYes.â
âHere.â
âThanks.â
âYouâre welcome.â
The duo continued their end-of-the-day ritual that consisted of a level of organization that one would expect to see from Twilight Sparkle.
âSoâŚâ Pharynx spoke up, âYou got an idea about what to do next?â
Thorax paused. He leaned back in his seat thinking. It was a legitimate question. âMaybe I couldâŚ?â
Thorax came up with yet another great idea. He hadnât been able to go and see the hive gardens in a long time. It would be nice to do that again
âOh, it would be perfect!â Thorax began thinking up the entire day plan in the back of his head. But there were other tasks that required his attention. And first-and-foremostâŚ
âPharynx, can I get the spam folder?â
Author's Note
Shout out to Xanderfox for getting the reference I made in Chapter 5
Sorry this took so long.
Chapter 10: Go and Smell the Roses
Chrysalis awoke with a groan. Her eyes ached from the act of rising from her deep slumber. That, however, brought to her attention a very important detail.
âSoâŚIâm not dead.â She thought to herself. Which meant that yesterdayâs fish wasnât poisoned. âTerrific.â
Her eyes, still somewhat sore, were drawn to the bottle of Extract on her bedside table. Her energy was low and it was about that time she took her meds. She thoughtlessly levitated the bottle to her hoofs. However her attention was caught by how fast the bottle came to her.
Chrysalis then started moving the bottle up and down with her magic. She felt the increase in accessible power. âBut, how? I mean the only way that could happen is ifâŚâ She quickly looked down at the inhibitor around her neck. Her eyes widened.
Several of the enchanted gems had lost their glow. Meaning that the inhibitors level of restraint over her had decreased. âWhat?!â She mentally questioned herself, âWho in the name of Equestria would-â
Her brain put two and two together, clicking in the process. There was only one individual that could, and would, lower the restraint level.
âThoraxâŚâ It seemed clear that he could be rooms away, and still be able to loosen her bonds. Which brought forth another question that came up often, but she would save that for a face-to-face conversation with the Changeling himself. For now, it was medication time. âAt least it tastes good.â
Shortly after taking a sizable gulp from the bottle, a familiar knock, at a familiar time, came at her door. âBreakfast time, I guess.â Chrysalis walked over to the door. She felt like opening the door herself today, rather than letting off a small magical signal to telegraph that entry was permitted.
She opened the door, and expected an average character to be carrying a tray. However, what she got was a gleeful âGood Morning!â from a very familiar voice. Seemed that face-to-face discussion would come sooner than she thought.
Thorax had showed up on her doorstep to personally deliver breakfast. His expression was wonderfully cheerful. âWould you like some breakfast-in-bed?â
Chrysalis, taken aback by the sudden gesture, managed to stumble out a reply. âS-Sure, gladly.â She stepped aside and let the young king into her room. He set the somewhat cluttered tray on the table in the middle of the room, and began unpacking it.
âHere we are. Breakfast is served.â Thorax took a seat on one end of the table, and waited for Chrysalis to do the same. She slowly did, as she was able to process the current events. She lifted a fork to dig into the plate of eggs that lay before her.
âPoison-â Chrysalis mentally slapped her subconscious in the face. She was really starting to get tired of this.
âOh, shut up you paranoid maggot!â She cursed in her personal mindscape. âYour endless rambling is the reason Iâve gotten anything into my system for the past days! I have been here for over two weeks, and nothing I have eaten or gone to see has resulted in my demise!â She managed to not let her anger show in her facial expressions. âAnd before you say anything, we discussed this yesterday: I donât care about the punishment! Weather it be execution, torture, or the wrath of the Princesses, I deserve it. And I will accept it. So you had better bulk up, accept the reality of the situation, because I am not having this conversation with you ever again. You hear me!?â
â.....â Silence. No response. There was nothing left to argue about. The new found peace allowed her completely focus on consuming her breakfast.
The eggs were cooked to perfection. A little rough around the edges, but still good. The biscuits were also creamy and had a soft, warm, puffy inside. âThis is really good.â Chrysalis said, this time remembering to chew and swallow her food before speaking.
âMade and delivered by yours truly.â Thorax put a hoof on his chest, comically exaggerating the small bit of pride he took in the fact.
Chrysalis paused for a moment. Looking at her plate. âYou , made all this?â
âWell, I canât expect Tibia to cook everything,â he said, âBesides, it makes me feel like Iâm good at something other than âbeing kingâ.â
Chrysalis then remembered something important. A question that she had to ask. âOh, right. That.â She steeled herself, gathering the courage to ask. âCome on Chrysalis, you can do this. Itâs just one question. One, simple, question.â She quietly took a deep breath.
âUm, Thorax?â
The king put his fork down and looked up at the mention of his name. âYes?â
âThis morning, I noticed thatâŚâ She faltered for a moment.
âNoticed what?â
â...That the magic inhibitor significantly decreased its restraint level.â Another moment of hesitation, âIt wouldnât happen to be losing itsâŚ?â
âWha-?â Thorax realized what she was asking. It made him laugh a little. âOh, ho, ho, ho. No, Chrysalis. Itâs not losing power. I loosened its grip.â
âWell thereâs the conformation,â Chrysalis thought. âNow for the big partâŚâ
âWell...Why?â She asked. âDoâŚDo you trust me?â The very thought of such a thing made her conflicted.
Thorax smiled, âItâs not a matter of me trusting you, Chrysalis,â He paused for a moment, â Itâs about you trusting yourself.â
âUh...What?â Chrysalis just stared back in bewilderment.
Thorax blinked, and then nervously laughed. âOh gosh, Iâm starting to sound like Celestia now, arenât I?â He laughed a little more. âNo more Royal meetings for me.â
Chrysalis laughed a little as well. He was right. That did sound like something the Sun Princess would say.
âNo, but in all seriousness, I feel like youâre not as stressed about yourself, if that makes any sense.â Thorax was attempting to explain his highly complicated position in the simplest way possible. âIâve always been fine with you being here. But I wasnât sure if you were comfortable with it. And because of that I was worried you wouldâŚdo something drastic.â
Chrysalis was still a bit confused, but decided to just roll with it, as to avoid giving herself a headache. She simply responded with, âI seeâŚâ and moved on from that part of the conversation.
âAnyway,â Thorax decided to get to his reasons for being there. âWe have recently created a garden area in the hive, and I was wondering if you would like to come and see it?â
Chrysalis stopped. She had just been made another offer to be taken on another walk through the hive, for the purpose of entertaining her. Normally, at this point, her subconscious would be making some radical comment about execution or something of the like. But, considering the lecture she had given it a moment ago, she was able to think without too much mental noise, and instead came up with her answer to the current question.
âYeah, I guess. Maybe this afternoon?â
Thorax looked off to the side. âActually, itâs almost 11:00 am right now.â
Chrysalisâ eyes shot wide open, âWhat!â
Thorax waved his hooves, âl-Iâm sorry! I just thought that I would let you sleep in, get some extra rest.â He was somewhat panicked by Chrysalisâ response, fearing that he upset her.
Fortunately she got a hold of herself and, almost on impulse,quelled Thoraxâs worry. âN-No, itâs fine! I was just surprised, thatâs all.â âWhoaâŚwhere did that come from?â
Thorax calmed down. âOkay. But, is there a specific time youâd like to go and see the garden?â
âUhâŚâ She pondered for a moment, âWhenever you think would be good.â Only to put out a non-specific answer. âI shouldnât be making any decisions about whens and wheres around here.
Thorax tilted his head to one side. He was slightly confused by Chrysalisâ some what non-answer, but he went with it. âAlright. Iâll come and get you a little later, okay?â
âOf course.â A small nod accompanied the conformation.
The current and former monarchs finished their respective plates and Thorax took them way to be washed (by himself of course. He wasnât going to leave everything to his fellow Changeling). He looked back at his guest with a smile. âSee ya later.â
And so she was left to herself, with yet another question to herself.
~~~~~~~~<
Thorax went to Chrysalisâ room to take her to the gardens at around 12:00 pm. He was running down the halls to get to her room. He didnât want to be delayed even further. When he finally made it, his breath was heavy, as he knocked on the door. Chrysalis opened the door slowly, as she was a bit nervous about letting others in.
âS-Sorry for taking so long,â Thorax said through his exhausted breath, âI would have came at 11:30, but Royal duties delayed me.â
Chrysalis shook a hoof in dismissal. âN-No, itâs fine. Youâre not at fault for anything.â She was referring to more than just his lateness. And more then just him.
âSo,â Thorax began, âDo you still want to go?â
âYes, I do.â
Thorax perked up at the response. âAlright then. If you would please follow me.â And they began on their way.
~~~~~~~~<
âNot much further now.â Thorax reassured. They were approaching a large set of wooden double doors, with grand vine-like designs on them. It was beautiful.
âHello, my lor- Oh! Uh, I mean, Thorax. The guard that greeted them slightly looked away in embarrassment.
âItâs okay, Hard Shell,â Thorax said kindly âEveryling messes up at some point. Iâm fine with it really.â
Hard Shell nodded, relieved he hadnât offended his king. He pulled a collection of keys from his saddle bag, and began to single out the one that unlocked the doors behind him.
Chrysalis got a chill down her spine. She recognized the Changeling guard. He was one of the troopers who originally captured her and brought her to the Hive. She shuddered at the thought of what he must think of her.
âSo, Hard Shell,â Thorax began as the guard he addressed continued his search for the right key, âWhat are you doing here? I thought you were on Pharynxâs scouting team.â
âOh, Iâm taking a break from it.â Hard Shell fumbled with the multitude of keys on the loop. âThatâs what active duty does to ya: Wears you down.â He found the right key. âWe really put labels on theseâŚâ The young soldier muttered to himself.
âIâll get to work on that.â Thorax affirmed. Hard Shell froze, turning to look at his monarch.
âHowâŚdid youâŚ?â The guard had a rather puzzled look on his face. Thorax simply tapped his horn as an answer. âWhaâŚ? Ahhhhhhahaha, I see you!â Hard Shell laughed at the indication that he needed to check when he was accessing the Hive mind. âAh, here we are!â He proclaimed with triumph, as he stuck the key in the lock. The sound of creaking hinges echoed through the hall. The doors to the gardens were open.
âThank you, Hard Shell.â Thorax gave a little bow to the young trooper. He stared walking in, motioning Chrysalis to follow.
As she walked through the door, she stopped as she turned her head to look at Hard Shell. She opened her mouth to speak, but Hard Shell cut her off. âYes, I know. And Iâm okay with it.â He knew what she was going to say. âIâm not harboring any grudges, nor do I think any other Changeling is.â He then motioned his head towards the gardens that await outside. âGo on, donât wanna get left behind, do ya?â
Chrysalis looked out the doorway. Thorax was patiently waiting for her. She took one last look at Hard Shell, before slowly stepping into the sunlight. The doors creaking closed behind her.
~~~~~~~~~~<
A sudden swell of light and colors and smells assaulted her senses. At first she winced as if in pain, but slowly, her nose and eyes began to registering all the colors and smells. And when that happened she was amazed. All around her were lively green shrubs, trees of various sizes, and most importantly: All the flowers. On both sides of the walkway, there were more flowers than could be counted in a reasonable amount of time.
Chrysalis couldnât help but keep looking from side to side, her eyes eating up the view as if it were candy. It was as if she had entered some kind of wonderland. All around her, all about her. Roses, tulips, violets on one side. Daisies, carnations, and sunflowers on the other.
âYou like it?â Thorax seemed to come out of nowhere as he brought Chrysalis out of her trance.
She struggled to find words, âItâŚIâŚâ She struggled with her vocabulary for a little longer, until eventually, something came to her. âIâŚItâsâŚI-Itâs beautiful.â
Thorax looked out on the same view, âI know. Itâs amazing that this actually all here.â
Chrysalis looked to Thorax, âHow was all of this made?â
âWell, to put it simply, one day a dozen or so Changelings got together and made a plan to create a massive garden. It was one of the most ambitious projects ever attempted. They spent months turning over soil, gathering seeds, planting, building. Then more Changelings joined in. Then more, and more, until practically the whole Hive was working on it. And now, here we are.â
Chrysalis tried to imagine it. The whole Hive working to complete one massive land project, that was first started by only a small group. Itâs was hard to visualize, but she tried.
âWould you like to see the rest of it?â Thorax put his hoof towards the rest of the garden, as if he were presenting it.
âO-Of courseâŚâ And so, the two continued on their way.
~~~~~~~~<
Cherry blossoms, ferns, ivy, and dandelions. There was such an extensive variety of plant life. Chrysalis had never even seen or heard of half the plants growing around her. She had to rely on Thorax for information about their rather green surroundings. It was somewhat embarrassing. They were steady making their way to the center of the gardens. She wondered what the centerpiece would be. What was the crown jewel?
âA giant tree? A sculpture of some kind?â Her curiosity kept her walking forward, as they passed by other Changelings, who gave smiles and greetings. The fact that their kind compliments were so sincere, still gave her pause.
âSo, you enjoying yourself?â Thorax posed the question, making his guest was enjoying their time.
âVery much so.â Chrysalis tried not to sound like she was lying. She was enjoying herself, but her anxiety and lack of self assurance made her a tad stressed. âItâs hard to believe that this was all built by Changelings.â
âWell, ya know what they say,â Thorax quipped cheerfully, âThe best way to get folks to unite, is to give them a common goal.â
âWho said that?â Chrysalis raised an eyebrow.
âMe.â Thorax smiled and the two shared a small chuckle.
It was then, that Chrysalis saw it. The centerpiece. She stared at it, walked over to it, seemingly in a trance. It wasnât a massive tree, nor a sculpture of any kind. It was something she didnât expect at all. In a vase, upon a pedestal, surrounded by white and red roses, sat a single flower. One that, by all means of nature, should not be able to exist.
It was a single, Black Rose .
There another thing odd about it. When she looked closely, a lot of the outermost petals had holes in them. Not holes punched in them, no, these holes were naturally occurring. Chrysalis was so entranced that she didnât notice Thorax coming up beside her.
âChrysalis?â
âGah!â She jumped, having been suddenly brought back to the conscious realm.
âWhoa, whoa, hey itâs okay. Itâs me.â Thorax reassured her. âYou alright?â
Chrysalis didnât answer his question. Instead she asked one of her own. âWha-? What is- What is that?â She struggles to form a sentence due to the amount of confusion she was experiencing.
Thorax looked to the flower in question. âOh, that. Thatâs the gardenâs central flower. The original planters called it âtheir greatest inspirationâ when they announced the project. They built this whole garden around that flower.â
Chrysalis could only think of more questions to ask. The original planters must have known the implications of the plantâs appearance. âHow did this thing come to be? Are there more of them?â
âNo,â Thorax replied, âThis is the only one we know of. As for itâs origins, some say itâs magic, others say itâs a random, one time byproduct of nature.â He looked to Chrysalis, âBut, I can tell you, that everyling thinks itâs beautiful.â
Beautiful. The word echoed in Chrysalisâ head. âBeautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful.â It confounded her. Surely she wasnât the only one who could draw the comparison between the appearance of the flower and the appearance of what the Changelings used to be. Chrysalis had so many questions. What, when, where, why, who, how. She could go on for days listing off the number of inquiries that racked her brain. However, only one question managed to squeeze its way out of her mouth.
âWhat is it called?â Chrysalis spoke somewhat quietly.
âWhat?â Thorax didnât quite hear her.
She quickly turned to him. Speaking in a hurried, almost panicked manner. âThe flower. The flower, what is it called?â
Thorax replied with one word, âHope.â
Chrysalis blinked, âW...What?â
âThe flower is called Hope.â
Chrysalis looked back to the black rose that was causing her confusion.
âThereâs, uh, still some more garden to explore,â Thorax added, âWould you like to go and see it?â
Chrysalis mindlessly nodded, and the two began walking again.
~~~~~~~~~~<
They walked on for another hour or two. Thorax would point out different plants, but Chrysalis wasnât really paying attention. Her mind was ablaze. To her, there were so many things wrong with what she just saw, the list could go on for days. At the end, Thorax offered to get her something to eat, but she declined. She, instead, asked to be taken straight to her room. âThank youâs were exchanged, and after closing the door and taking a few sizable gulps of Love Extract, she fell right onto her bed. She needed to rest. To process. To comprehend what she had seen only a few hours ago.
She didnât get much sleep that night.
Author's Note
I'm still alive!!!
Chapter 11: Are You Well?
Thorax paced about the room, while Pharynx was working on new exercises to bulk up the recruits under his command. It took approximately five minutes, before Pharynx got tired of the sound of hooves hitting the floor in an unproductive manner. The Changeling general dropped his pen and paper on the table.
âAlright, thatâs it,â Pharynxâs voice made clear his irritation, âWhatâs wrong?â
Thorax stopped pacing and looked to his brother. A simple, âWhat?â was all he responded with.
Pharynx wasnât satisfied with the response, so he repeated the question, this time emphasizing each word. âWhatâs wrong?â
Thorax let out a deep breath, indicating that he was either stressed or exhausted. âIâmâŚreally starting to worry about Chrysalis.â
âStress.â Pharynx made a mental note of it.
Thorax continued, âI donât know why, but it seems like sheâs having a mental, mid-life crisis or something like that.â Thorax resumes his pacing as he spoke.
âAnd when did you notice this?â Pharynx raised an eyebrow, starting to take interest in the topic.
Thorax slowed his looped pacing, âJust today, when I took her to the gardens. Around the âHope flower.â
âAs in the flower that bears a resemblance to our previous forms?â
âYes.â Thorax finally sat down at the table, pushing a pencil around with his hoof, âI mean, there were some times before when she drifted into space, but that seemed more like her not being used to the environment,â He looked at an empty picture frame on the table, awaiting some treasured memory to present, âBut this time, it was like she just broke a little inside.â
âWell, I donât know to tell you,â Pharynx double-checked his plans for tomorrow, âAll I can say is keeping doing what youâve been doing: Making her feel at home.â
Thorax looked up at his brother, âYa sure you canât give me a stern, Drill Sargent, talking to?â
âNever.â
â*Sigh* Oh well.â
Pharynx filed his training plan away for the night. âSo, got any more grand ideas to aid you in your quest?â He spoke as if he were reading a storybook.
Thorax scratched his chin, as if his kind was even capable of naturally growing a beard. âEnough to keep busy for a few weeks."
Author's Note
Sorry Its so short.
However, as I said in an earlier comment I will be posting a deleted scene to make up for it.
Please don't kill me
Pharynx's Rage (deleted scene)
Author's Note
Dedicated to FIMfiction user "Vertex" and all of my other readers
Pharynx's Rage (deleted scene)
Pharynx continued down the line, recruit after recruit. He had ripped through several ponies that he could only classify as spineless or egotistical. He needed something different. It was then that something caught his eyes. She wasnât very tall, at least not compared to him. She had a light blue coat, and green eyes. Her face was hard but neutral. It gave off a distinct aura of discipline that the others lacked. It was all in the details. The mare peaked Pharynxâs interest. He approached her, maintaining his stern expression.
âYou there!â Pharynx shouted, addressing the mare before him. âWhatâs your name?â
The mare in question went into a salute position, âSir, Private Cloudy Sky, Sir!â
Pharynx mentally stuck his tongue out. Her demeanor and tone were perfect. But, that name. Such a poor name shouldnât be attached to such a fine candidate. So, he decided to fix that.
âWRONG!â He shouted, âFrom now on your name is Private Windbreaker! Do you like that name?â
âSir, Yes, Sir!â
âPrivate Windbreaker, your accent tells me that youâre from Manehattan. Am I correct?â
âSir, Yes, Sir!â
âYou like the food there, Private?â
âSir, Yes, Sir!â
âWell thereâs one thing you probably wonât like Private Windbreaker: They donât serve fast-food or fine cuisine on a daily basis in my mess-hall!â He has to be fair and throw in a little bit of rudeness.
âSir, Yes, Sir!â Windbreaker maintained her tone, posture, and expression.
Pharynx smiled on the inside a bit. He didnât see enough mare warriors in the army. Which he considered a shame, since he thought that many of the mares he had met, had great potential. In fact, there were many times he could recall where they greatly outperformed the stallions. Cloudy Sky/ Windbreaker showed a lot of promise.
He was about to move down the line when his ear twitched. He heard something. He heard somepony say, âProbably serve the love you stole from Canterlot.â
Pharynxâs blood boiled. Steam (somehow) came out of his nostrils, and he grit his teeth. âWho said that?â He stormed in the general direction of the sound. âWHO THE HECK SAID THAT?!â He settled on a small line of troops. âWhoâs the grimy little, scum-sucking, mulch pile, that just signed their own DEATH WARRANT?!â Pharynx looked between the small group, each one was as stone-faced as the other. His rage only grew with the extended silence. âNobody, hm? A flipping para-sprite said it. How absolutely wonderful-I will PT you all until you DIE! Iâll PT you until youâre crying for your mom!â He grabbed the recruit closest to him, âWas it you, ya scrawny little maggot?â
The trainee was sweating bullets under Pharynxâs glare. âS-Sir, No, Sir!â He answered in a slight panic. Pharynx remained unconvinced.
âI can practically taste the amount of contempt coming from over here. Iâll bet it was you!â
âSir, N-No, Sir!â
Suddenly, the recruit right next him spoke up, âSir, I said it, Sir!â
A great silence came over the grounds. Those that could moved their eyes to look at the one who spoke up. He was a character of average height. A stallion with an orange coat, brown eyes, and a similarly brown mane. Pharynx marched over to the stallion, his hooves making heavy, audible impact upon the ground with every step. He stared the culprit down.
âWell,â Pharynx growled, âSmall world. What do we have here? An uneducated bigot, Private Blockhead. I admire your honesty. Heck, I like you. You can come inside The Hive and date one of my sisters.â Before âPrivate Blockheadâ could respond in any way, the enraged Changeling General punched him in the chest, knocking the air out of his lungs. He fell to the ground, gripping the area of impact with one hoof, supporting himself on his knees and other hoof.
Pharynx stood over the pony that he hated so much at the moment. âYOU LITTLE SCUMBAG! Iâve got your name, IâVE GOT YOUR MARK!!! You will not laugh, you will not cry. You will learn by the numbers. I will teach you! Now get up, get on your hooves!!â Slowly, the Private managed to stand on all four hooves. It was clear that his attitude and ego had been taken down more than a few notches. Pharynx wasnât done however. âYou had best fix yourself real fast, or Iâll turn your helmet into a hammer and drive your head through a WALL!â
Private âBlockheadâ croaked our a decent, âSir, Yes, Sir!â
âPrivate âBlockheadâ, why did you join Shining Armorâs beloved Corp?â
âSir, to defend the kingdom of Equestria, Sir!â
âItâs not âkingdomâ Private, itâs kingdoms . Equestria is a Country made up of several kingdoms. Theses include the capital of Canterlot, The Crystal Empire, the Giffin territory, the Hippogriff kingdom on Mount. Eris, the Yak territory out west, and the land you are standing on at this moment! Am I understood?â
âSir, Yes, Sir!â
âMake sure you memorize it!â Pharynx marched down the line, continuing the process of ripping through troops.
Chapter 12: An Enlightening Day (Part 2)
Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter. Had she done this before? Had she been here before? No, she had definitely been here before. But had she done this before? Chrysalis couldnât seem to answer her own questions. All she seemed to do effectively was lay in bed and stare at the ceiling of the room. She couldnât bring herself to sleep, eat, drink, let alone move. In what seemed like an eternity ago, she remembered days when her head was filled with the angry, spiteful voice of Thorax, as he berated her for all her faults. Now, all she could think of were the kind words, the reassurance he offered to her, the asking of her opinion, and the general, uncompromising respect he showed her. If she had the power to choose between Thoraxâs rage and his kindness, Chrysalis preferred the former of the two. She could understand him being mad, she could understand him being spiteful. But by no means could she understand him showing her mercy.
Most of all, one phrased was repeated in her mind more than any other: âYouâre our mother .â Why had he said that? Aside from a few very rare exceptions spread out across hundreds of years of their history, Changeling Monarchs had no blood relation to the subjects they ruled over. So why would he call her âmotherâ? The question went round and round her mind endlessly.
Then, for a moment, she thought: did they consider her a mother in an âhonorary family memberâ way. She carried that train of thought.
Changeling rulers were comparable to parents or guardians by duty. They aided in the raising of some of the new born nymphs, provided for their subjects (as if they were children), and had a greater presence in the Hive social dynamic and interacted with their subjects more than most Monarchs. By that logic, Thorax would be sort of like a âFatherâ to the Hive by duty, or at least a caretaker. And that would also make her the former âMother of the Hiveâ by duty(A twisted, terrible, tyrannical mother, but still). Was that it? Was that the logic behind it all?
âNo, no, no, no, no. This has to be a mistake. It must beâŚâ
âIt better be.â
Chrysalis remained still, only hearing the voices running around her head.
Suddenly there was something else.
At first she thought it was just the sounds of memories getting jumbled together. But it wasnât. It was the faint echo of a voice. A new voice. One she didnât recognize.
âRuâŚruâŚruâŚâ
The echo was saying something, but she couldnât figure out what it was. She tried to pinpoint where in her mind the voice was coming from. Nothing.
âMaybe Iâm going madâŚâ She thought.
Every time she tried to divert her mind, it would just go right back to her activities from the past few weeks. She wanted to hate herself, at this point, she wanted everyone to hate her for all she had done. Yet time and time again, those around her seemed to tell her that âeverythingâs ok, we still careâ.
At some point, Thorax had taken Chrysalis to see a musical. She couldnât remember all the details. Something about a guy who was a revolutionary, and at some point a treasury secretary. It was fuzzy. What she did remember very well, was the part where the main character was shot and killed in a magic duel by the pony that used to be his friend.
She felt like she was living that moment. That one, singular moment. Like she and Thorax were in a duel. Like she had shot at him with intentions to kill. Like Thorax was intentionally wasting his opportunity to attack, in order to spare her.
It made her feel sick inside.
She was selfish, she never did the right thing. She was brash, arrogant, and impulsive. Why would nobody see that. Why would nobody see that she was a terrible âparentâ.
She curled up into a ball on her bed, tears coming into her eyes, as rocked back and forward. Only a few words left her lips.
âIâm not a good parent. Iâm not a good parent. Iâm not a good parent. Iâm not a good parent.â
Author's Note
I made another reference in this chapter.
Also, Loveless, do tell me if I implemented the logic we discussed well in this chapter.
Chapter 15: An Interaction
The afternoon rolled in as quietly as the morning and was equally uninteresting. Usually, sitting at the balcony was one of Thoraxâs favorite pastimes. In all honesty, the view was wonderful. But it just seemed hollow. He felt like he had made a massive mistake.
âWhat in Equestria made me think that I could do this by myself?â Thorax lamented in his mind. âMaybe I should have told Twilight and her friends. At least they would have had some idea of what to do.â
All he could do was stare at the horizon and contemplate his self-disappointment.
~~~~~~~~<
Chrysalis had lost track of how many hours she had spent lying there on the bed in the room she didnât deserve. Sleep eluded her and the time to herself didnât aid her in finding the answers to the questions floating around her head. It all just kept going round and round.
âWhyâ this, âWhyâ that. Cascades of questions, without answers. It seemed like the unending enigma of the privileges bestowed upon her would kill her. âWho would have answers to my questions?â She added that question to the growing pile in her brain.
However, that one did not remain unanswered. It came to her rather quickly, but she didnât like it.
Thorax. Thorax would be able to answer at least some of her questions.
The problem was that she really didnât want to talk to him. She didnât hate him, but the thought of interacting with him after she had locked herself in her room, again , made her nervous. She weighed her options.
âI could either get some clarity in my life, and then rot away in self imposed solitude. Or I could let the lack of answers consume me, as I rot away in self imposed solitude and slip slowly into madnessâŚâ
â........â
âOh, Faust be damned!â Chrysalis, albeit very begrudgingly, slowly rolled out of her bed and onto the floor. It took her a moment to find her footing, but she managed to do it. Walking towards the door, she braced herself for the amount of light that was about to flood her eyes. And itâs a good thing to. Even though the day wasnât especially sunny, it was still a bit much. After letting her eyes adjust to the light, Chrysalis headed to the one place that she could think of to find Thorax.
The Throne Room.
~~~~~~~~<
Thorax thoughtlessly stirred his drink. A million ways he could say âSorryâ were going through his mind. He didnât know exactly what he would be apologizing for, but he still felt that it was necessary. He was about to take the cups he had used to the kitchen so that he could wash them, when a knock came at the Throne Room door.
The door slowly opened a crack, and in stepped the one who he had been having such a hard time getting through to.
âUh...Hi,â Chrysalis nervously waved a hoof at Thorax.
âHi.â Thorax responded, somewhat nervous himself.
âAm IâŚI meanâŚIs this a bad time?â Chrysalis pointed to the door, âIf it is, I could come back later-â
âOh, no! Itâs okay. I wasnât really doing anything.â
âOh, okayâŚâ
A moment of awkward silence fell upon the scene.
âSoâŚâ
âSoâŚâ
âCan IâŚget you something to drink?â Thorax offered.
âNo, Iâm good.â She was lying. Aside from occasionally taking sips from the bottle of Love Extract (Which she treated more like medication than sustenance), she hadnât really ate or drank anything the past day or two. She knew doing so wasnât good for her health or her magic but she didnât care. And she would have stuck to that answer to if her stomach hasn't made a rather clear growl.
Chrysalisâ cheeks gained a reddish tint as she rubbed her front leg in light embarrassment. âMaybe just some Extract,â she said without making eye contact.
Thoraxâs magic reached into some unseen void and pulled out an unopened bottle of the stuff.
âHere,â He said as he levitated the bottle over to her.
Chrysalis carefully opened the bottle and slowly drank a small portion of it, not wanting to throw her body into shock.
âThank you,â She said.
Another wave of silence filled the room.
âThorax, IâŚâ Chrysalis struggled to call upon words to continue her sentence.
Thorax opened his mouth to speak but no sound came out.
âOh, Iâm sorry. Did you want to say something?â Chrysalis surrendered her âturn to talkâ.
âNo,no!â Thorax responded hurriedly, âPlease, you first.â
Chrysalis bit her lip. She didnât want to speak first. She wanted to come up with any excuse not to speak first. Part of her even wanted to just leave the room without saying a word. But she had come too far to back out now.
âCome on Chrysalis, you can do this! Deep breathsâŚâ
âThoraxâŚcan I-â
âYOUR MAJESTY!!!â
âFaust be damned!â The former Queen and current King thought at the same time.
One of Thoraxâs messengers had come crashing through the doors, obviously in a panic.
Thorax looked to the messenger that just barged in. âExodus, what is it?â, Thorax said, with annoyance in his tone.
âKing Thorax, theyâre coming!â
âWho is coming, Exodus?â
âThe Princesses!â
Thorax and Chrysalisâ annoyance quickly turned to shock.
âThe Princesses are coming? Why? Wouldnât they have sent a letter ahead of ti-â Thoraxâs thoughts stopped. He quickly remembered something. Something he wished he had remembered much, much sooner: He hadnât gone through all the mail from that week. In all the hustle and bustle of working out Chrysalisâ stay, he must have forgotten to go through it all.
âItâs okay,â Thorax thought to himself, âItâs just the Princesses, nothing crazy. I can improvise this.â Thorax mentality recited with confidence.
Only for that confidence to be shattered when Chrysalis asked a question that he should have thought of earlier. âWhich Princesses are coming?â
Exodusâs response was not reassuring. âA-All of themâŚâ
âŚ
âŚ
âWhat?â They both said at the same time.
âAlso,â Exodus continued, Princess Twilight may have brought all of her friends, and Princess Cadence may have also brought her husbandâŚâ A few beads of sweat fell down his face.
Thorax and Chrysalis were about to scream, when they heard the drifting sounds of a far off conversation. The duo rushed to the balcony, looking over it, hoping against hope that their fears had not been realized.
They had no such luck.
Down on the ground were the distinct outlines of Princess Celesta, Luna, Twilight, and Cadence, along with two Royal Guards. That wasnât all. There were a whole host of other ponies that just made the situation worse. Rainbow Dash could be seen zipping about the group. Pinkie Pie was taking a spring-loaded step every second. Fluttershy was clearly occupied by the blossoming plant life all around them. AppleJack was presumably making comparisons between something she was seeing and something involving farm life. And Thorax couldnât even imagine all the aesthetic âimprovementsâ that Rarity was coming up with.
However, there was one pony in the crowd that drew immediate attention (more attention than Pinkie Pie). Snuggled up against Cadence, was the one pony that Thorax, nor Chrysalis, nor Pharynx wanted to see at this point in time.
Prince Shining Armor.
In that singular moment of shock, and panic, Chrysalis and Thorax said the only thing that could adequately describe how they felt in that moment.
âOh, pony feathers.â
Author's Note
If you can't already tell: Everything is about to to go very, VERY South.
Have fun with that.
Chapter 16: Meet the Inconvenient Visitors
âIM SO EXCITED! Areyouexcited?CauseIâmexcited.Imean,whatâsnottobeexcitedabout?InevergottoseethenewChangelinghomeuntilnow,andnowweârehere!â
âPinkie Pie! Calm down, will ya?â Apple Jack had to shout in order bring Pinkie Pie out of her hyperactive, excited state.
âOops, sorry.â The pink, party pony giggled, as she floated down to the ground from mid jump(Defying several laws of physics in the process).
âItâs alright,â Celesta reassured, âWeâre all very eager to see how Thorax and the other Changelings are doing.â
âYes, especially since Thorax has little experience in leading a kingdom,â Luna pitched in, keeping pace with her older sister.
Rarity looked about the area around her with a critical eye. âWell, if nothing else, the plants around here could use a good trimming.â
âIâm more surprised that anything was able to grow âround here,â Apple Jack looked around her in amazement at the staggering amount of foliage that had sprouted up, âLast we was here, all this was dried up dirt, rocks, and sand.â
Fluttershy was content with simply admiring its presence. âI think itâs lovely.â Everypony wordless agreed with that sentiment.
Rainbow Dash continued to zip about in the air space surrounding the group. She made a dive that was a tad too low and came dangerously close to Twilightâs head.
The Purple alicorn let out a little âEep!â and ducked.
Twilight rose to her hooves, looking slightly annoyed by the cyan pegasusâ antics. âDash, watch it!â She called up, âYouâre gonna hurt somepony with that flying. Including, but not limited to, yourself!â
âOh, come on Twi,â the cyan pegasus in question flew back and forth, making boxing poses in those directions, âI gotta be on guard!â
Rarity rolled her eyes, âAnd why exactly must you be âon guardâ, as it were?â
âYou never know,â Rainbow Dash said, continuing to shadow box in the air, âSome big, scary monster could come out of nowhere!â A smirk quickly formed on her face, clearly displaying the mareâs love for danger and adventure.
Cadence couldnât help but chuckle at Rainbow Dashâs enthusiasm. Her small smile soon turned to a concerned frown, as her gaze drifted to the ground.
âWhatâs the matter, honey?â Shining Armorâs impeccable ability to know when his wife was distressed kicked in as he moved closer to his wife.
A smile returned to Cadenceâs face, âItâs nothing dear.â
âCadence, itâs never just ânothingâ.â Shining looked at his beautiful bride with eyes of worry, trying to think of what could be wrong, âDid I forget to turn off the stove?â
Cadence let out a small laugh at the absurd question, âNo honey, itâs not that,â her worried expression returned as she stared up at the sky, her gaze now directed more towards the Changeling Hive, âItâs just thatâŚâ
âJust what, dear?â
âEver since Thorax left the Crystal Empire and became King of the Changelings, he seems so distant. Nowadays, I wonder if he can handle running a whole kingdom on his own. I mean, Iâm not saying heâs incapable. Not at all. He helped out a lot with all the legal documents we had to deal with, and he managed to successfully babysit Flurry Heart of all ponies.
âBut hardly ever writes to us and never really tells us whatâs going on. Iâm just scared that heâs pushing himself to much.â
Shining turned Cadenceâs face to meet eyes with him. He then gave his loving wife a little kiss on the lips.
âCadence, if there was a problem that Thorax and the Changelings couldnât handle on their own, Iâm sure that he would contact us, or somepony that could help him immediately.â
The two snuggled a bit and Cadence couldnât help but smile at her beloved husband. âThank you, sweetie.â
âYouâre welcome, honey.â A warm smile cane to Shining Armorâs face. He took comfort in knowing his wife was happy. âBesides, Thorax is a tough little guy. Iâm sure heâs fine.â
Author's Note
Ah, plot devices. Aren't they wonderful :)
I was going to post this chapter and chapter 17 at the same time, but I didn't want to starve you guys of content. (Also I'm almost finished with Chapter 17, so the wait won't be too long)
So now's the tome to place your bets. Which one of these here ponies is going to cause the most trouble?
I'll see you soon. Enjoy!
View Online
Chapter 17: In the Mind of a Master Improviser
Thorax was-
âAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!â
Anything but okay.
Despite the fact that he was in a sound muffling panic bubble,(which he had unconsciously cast) he still could be heard throughout most of the room.
Chrysalis fared no better. In fact, she seemed to be faring worse. As she stood there, shaking at the knees, her mind filled with all the horrible things that would happen if they found her here. The burning glares, the spiteful words. That strange,far off, distant voice seemed to come closer in her head. All the noise, noise, noise.
The two of them would have kept this up for at least another 5 minutes that they didnât have, were it not for Exodus walking into Thoraxâs panic bubble and swiftly clamping his kings mouth shut and smacking him in the face.
âSIR! Pull yourself together!â Exodusâ shout also managed to snap Chrysalis out of her trance. âGoodâ Exodus thought, âSaves some time.â
âI understand the two of you are nervous, but right now we need a plan so that this whole thing that you have spent weeks trying to do doesnât fall to pieces.â Exodus stood between the the two panicked Changelings.
Thorax then started searching his brain for any ideas to help make the situation easier to deal with. They had to get Chrysalis to a safe place, and to do that they needed to slow the group down. So the question remained: How?
âUh...uh-â an idea came to the Changeling king, âExodus, do we have something akin to a waiting area? Like how the have in doctor offices?â
âUh, yes, Iâm sure we do-â
âOkay. Exodus, I need you to run interference. Lead them to that space and tell them that Iâll be there in a few minutes or something.â
âYes, sir!â
âAlso, pay attention to what theyâre talking about. Might be able to get some distraction ideas from that.â
âOf course, sir!â
âGo, now!â
Exodus quickly left the room, running off to stall the incoming guests.
âOkay, what else, what else?â Thorax rubbed his temples, as if ideas would come to him faster if he did so. âUh, Chrysalis any ideas?â
Shock plastered Chrysalisâ face when asked. Sweat started to drip down her face. She really didnât want to do this. To take part in deception to protect herself. Considering what Thorax was trying to do(make her a better pony), it seemed hypocritical and wrong. She was going to say âSorry, Iâve got nothingâ, but then she realized that by doing so, she would be leaving him hanging. He had sacrificed so much and she had given back so little. The most she had given back was coldness and isolation. That made her feel even worse. Biting her lip she gave in and let her idea out.
âWe could have Tibia show Pinkie Pie around the kitchen,â Chrysalis stammered out.
Thorax looked to Chrysalis as she continued, âAnd maybe they could make something together?â
Thorax beamed at the idea. Pinkie Pie was naturally hyperactive. So giving her something to do that interested her was great.
âPerfect,â he said, âIâll contact Tibia and tell her. With Exodus running interference, that should by her enough time to prepare.â Thorax reached into the Hive Mind, and got in contact with the Changeling Chef herself.
âHello, Tibia?â He said, thinking out loud, âYes, itâs me, Thorax- listenâŚâ
âYes, and I promise that you get to serve me whatever you want as punishment for my slipping upâŚOkay, thank you!â He left the Hive Mind visibly stressed from the discussion he just had.
âWell,â Chrysalis said, âOne down, many more to go.â
âRight,â Thorax resumed rubbing his temples. âIt had be all of them. Couldnât have been the Princesses, nooo , that would be too simple. Now Rarityâs going to be going on endlessly about my-â Another idea came to him. He reached into the Hive Mind and contacted another Changeling.
âThimble, you there?â
âOh, Thorax! Yes, Iâm here, what do you need?â
âListen, Thimble, you love fashion, right?â
âOh, yes! Itâs my favorite thing in the world! Itâs why I run a fashion club.â
âWell, what if I told you that there was a chance you could meet one of Equestriaâs greatest fashion designers?â
âOh, Iâd be over the moon! Especially if it was Rarity. Her work is absolutely incredible!â
âWell, youâre in luck, because sheâs comingâŚtodayâŚlike right now.â
â...â
âThimble, you-?â
The sound of overjoyed squeals filled Thoraxâs head. He noticeably flinched as result of the high pitched mental noise.
âReally? You mean it?â
âYes, I do. Can you make this meeting happen?
âOh, well, I donât know. Iâd need a few minutes to prepare.â
âIâm buying you those few minutes now. Can you make it happen?â
âY-Yes! Yes I can!â
âGreat, Iâll get back to you later.â
âOf course! And thank you Thorax! EEEE-!â
Thorax cut the call there before his brain exploded. âOkay. Still a lot to do, but still progress.â
âSo what now?â Chrysalis asked.
Thorax looked to her before calling two guards.
The pair of armored Changelings ran into the room before stopping directly in front of their Monarch.
âYes, Ki-I mean Thorax?â
âTake Chrysalis and hide her. In her room, in the basement, where ever she wonât be found by our surprise visitors.â
âYes, of course.â
âWait, what?â Chrysalis looked around in confusion.
âChrysalis,â Thorax put a hoof on her shoulder, âRight now, all of the most important ponies in Equestria are coming, and I havenât come up with a good time or way to tell them that youâre here.
âNot to mention that not all of them have the most forgiving and accepting temperament towards you. I think it would be best if you stay out of sight for a while.â
Chrysalis looked down at the ground in consideration.
âOkayâŚI understand.â
âGreat,â Thorax nodded, looking at the two guards that he had called, âYou guys got an idea of where to take her?â
âYes, we do Thoraxâ
âGreat. Get moving!â
The guards nodded and escorted Chrysalis out of the room and into the hallway.
It was at that moment, that Exodus called, âSir?â
âYes Exodus?â
âIâve got some information that might help the situation.â
âWhat do ya got, Exodus?â
âMs. Fluttershy could be sent to spend some time in the massive garden, as well as Apple Jack to a lesser degree.
âApple Jack could also see Tibia, though considering how Ms. Pinkie Pie is also meeting her Iâm not sure how that would go.â
âSomepony with experience should be there to keep Pinkie Pie in check. Iâll let Tibia know. What else?â
âWell, Rainbow Dash could go see our athletic group. They were going on about pony sports teams at times during their approach.â
âSounds about right. What about Twilight?â
âPrincess TwilightâŚhmmâŚshe seemed interested in Changeling society and our science.â
âWe could have her see Dr. Cloverfield, and maybe a few other members of our scientific community.â
âYes, that would keep her occupied, wouldnât it.â
âAnd the other Princesses probably want to sit around the meeting table and talk politics. So thatâs simple enough.â
âUm, sir. Pardon me but I feel like like you might be forgetting about the Timber Wolf in the room.â
âAnd that would beâŚ?â
âHis majesty, Shining Armor.â
Thoraxâs guts twisted a little. Exodus was right. He hadnât come up with something to occupy Shining Armor.
âOh Faust, what am I going to do?â Thorax thought in a panic.
Then he realized that he did have something to occupy Shining Armor. The problem: he was going to have two Changelings on his back comedically punishing him for his slip up.
At this point, however, he was willing to take it.
âI think Iâve got something for him, Exodus.â
âSir?â
âLook, just get them to the waiting room. Iâll take care of the rest.â
Exodus sighed, âVery well, if you say so.â
The call ended, and Thorax was able to put all his focus into gathering the courage to contact the only one who could keep Shining Armor occupied for a considerable amount of time.
âJust keep calm, Thorax. Keep calm.â
~~~~~~~~~~~<
â2-4-2-4-2, Come On! 2-4-2-4-2!â
âPrivate Hooper, youâre off beat!â Pharynx barked, âStraighten up!â
Wordlessly, the trainee fell back into rhythm.
âCome on, keep it up! 2-4-2-4-2!
It was then, Pharynx got a call request through the Hive Mind. Normally he would just ignore them to continue with his training. When he checked who it was, however, he knew he had to answer.
âHALT!â Pharynx shouted loud enough for all the marching trainees to hear. Like clockwork, they stopped.
Pharynx accessed the Hive Mind, allowing Thorax to communicate with him.
âBrother, what is it?â
âPharynx, whatâs on your agenda today?â Thorax asked, with a noticeable twinge of stress in his question.
âNot much, why?â Even if he wasnât in the same room as his brother, âThorax, whatâs wrong?â He could smell that something was up from a mile away.
Thorax let out a nervous laugh, âUh, haha, yeah, umâŚfunny story. Ya seeâŚI never went through all of last weeks mailâŚâ
âSoâŚ?â
âSo, I may have missed a letter saying that the Princesses were coming.â
Pharynx fell silent. His mouth hung open, drawing the attention of some the trainees.
âWhen?â Pharynx asked in a low and stressed voice.
âNowâŚâ
â...â
âLook, Pharynx, I-â
âWould you excuse me for a moment, please?â
âUm, sure. Why do you-â
Pharynx put his brother on hold, â*Inhale*...â
â...â
âPRIVATE WINDBREAKER!â
Windbreaker didnât waste a moment, immediately rushing to his current commanding officer to see what he required from her. âSir, Yes Sir.â
âWindbreaker! I need something to hit really hard, right now. â
âSir, Yes Sir.â With impeccable reaction time, Windbreaker placed a training dummy in front of the Changeling General.
Pharynx wasted no time, grabbing it and driving his hoof directly into its chest. The fresh, untouched dummy went spiraling into the ground. The fabric skin ripped and torn, foam guts scattered around, and the wooden skeleton that gave the now mangled thing shape was shattered beyond repair. All things consideredâŚwasnât that bad.
âThank you, Private Windbreaker,â Pharynx breathed at the relief of his frustration.
âYouâre welcome, Sir.â
Pharynx turned his attention back to Thoraxâs call.
âOkay. So, Which Princesses are coming?â
âUmâŚAll of them.â
ââŚIâm sorry, could you repeat that?â
âAll four Princesses are coming.â
â...â
âPharynx?â
âWhat else?â
âWhat do you-â
âWhat else. Should I know. About the current situation?â
âWell, Twilight brought the other Elements along with herâŚâ
âAnd...?â
âCadenceâŚmay also have her Significant Other with herâŚâ
Pharynxâs eye twitched, âCadence.â
âYes.â
âAnd Shining Armor.â
âYes.â
âComing here.â
âYes.â
âRight now.â
âYesâ
â...Thorax, I need another moment.â
âI-â Was all that Thorax was able to get out before Pharynx put him on hold again.
â*Inhale*...WINDBREAKER!â
Once again the pegasus was before him, âSir, Yes Sir.â
âWindbreaker, I need something a little more potent.â
âSir, Yes Sir.â
Windbreaker swiftly returned with a reinforced training dummy.
At that moment, a lot of pent up anger was let loose.
Pharynx grabbed the lifeless thing, breaking its wooden spine over his back with an audible snap. He then slammed it into the ground.
Standing up right, Pharynx slammed his his right back hoof into the dummyâs chest cracking the braces within.
Still grinding his back hoof into the chest, Pharynx swung with his front left hoof, and crushed the dummyâs neck joint and skull.
After a few moments of him breathing heavily, Pharynx regained his composure, and got back on the line with Thorax.
â*Sigh* Ok, sorry about thatâŚYesâŚYes, I can do that brotherâŚLook, I have no problem keeping him occupied for a whileâŚNo, Iâll be fineâŚIf I need your help, I will call youâŚRight, okay, thanks, Iâll talk to you later...bye.â Pharynx hung up, not wanting any more surprises.
âUm, Sir,â a nervous trainee by the name of Private Ridge spoke up, âIs something happening, Sir?â
Pharynx looked to the pony who was asking the question. He was going to need to get this group together.
âAssembly formation!â Pharynx loudly ordered in his commanding voice. âStand to attention!â
Quickly all the pony trainees did their best to line up in a rectangle in front of the mound that the Changeling General did morning announcements on.
Pharynx got up on the mound and addressed the troops that stood before him.
âListen!â He hollered, âToday, we have a couple of surprise guests coming. Some of you might be pleasantly surprised by who is coming today. Would anyone like to guess?â
A series of confused murmurs traveled through the crowd below.
âWell I guess thereâs no point in holding it back, itâs the Princesses!â
The hushed murmurs were replaced by noticeable gasps and slightly more distinctive discussion.
âYes, this is for real. But the real Icing on the cake is that Shining Armor is also coming.â
The sounds of shock and surprise increased in volume.
âYes. This is happening,â Pharynx confirmed, âSo, in light of this, I want you mugs to set your bunks and clean your quarters. Make all the facilities you use crystal clean. I want those rooms so sanitary and squared away, that The Royal Sisters themselves would be proud to be there. Do you understand?â
âSir, Yes Sir!â Shouted the crowd of ponies in response.
âWell then what are you all still standing here for!?! Move it!! NOW!â
The pony troops hurried of to carry out their new janitorial duties, as to not further answer their current commanding officer.
Once they had all left, Pharynx made a call.
âHelloâŚSparks, itâs meâŚLook I need you to do somethingâŚI want you to get a group of well trained soldiers, and have them posted in the primary places that our unexpected guests will be visitingâŚItâs not paranoia if itâs more likely to happen then not, SparksâŚWell, you know what they say Sparks: âHope for the best, prepare for the worst.â Now get it done.â
Pharynx cut the call. Looking over the field, he began to create a mental list of conversation topic and activities that would act as a good distraction for the ruler of The Crystal Empire.
If nothing else, it was going to be a long, tense day.
Author's Note
Bets on who is going to cause the most trouble are still open.
Also, if you need a dialogue guide, I'll edit it in here.
Have a good time now!
Chrysalis didnât say a word as the two Changeling guards escorted her through many hallways and down a couple of flights of stairs. As they continued to go onward to whatever destination the guards had in mind, her panic continued to rise. Her eyes would dart about, as if eyes were always on her. Little beads of sweat ran down her the sides of her face. Sometimes she glanced over her shoulder, swearing that there was someone-something -behind her, following her. Sometimes her mind seemed to conjure up the idea that she was being dragged away to the dungeons of Canterlot. And what was more concerning, was that new distant voice in her head seemed to become clearer now, as it continued to speak up sporadically.
âunâŚunâŚunâŚunâŚâ
It wasnât clear enough to understand, but it was enough to make her jump a little, or look over her shoulder more often.
After a few more minutes, the blue guard on her left spoke up. âOkay, weâre here.â
They had come to a hallway that had doors on each side in a lower section of the Hive. The air was still, and had an odd smell. Like things were locked away down here, waiting for a time when they will be let out.
Chrysalis looked around, âWhatâŚis this place?â
âThis?â the green guard to her right said, âThis is the storage section. We call it âThe Vaultâ. This is where a lot of us put this of high value. Some of itâs inheritance, others are objects of personal value. You want something kept safe for your whole life, you lock it down here.â
Many of the doors were large. There were numbers carved into them, with gemstone handles. Presumably, they were enchanted to further check if the Changeling opening it had the permission to do so.
The trio continued walking down the hall until they stopped at an unlit door.
âHere we are,â the blue guard said, âThis oneâs not in use.â The green guard wordlessly walked up to it and grasped the bejeweled handle. It reminded her of the basically worthless inhibitor that she used to wear. At this point it was just a very flashy necklace, that sat on the nightstand in her room.
The door, numbered 14, was slowly pulled open, revealing the plain empty interior. The distinct scent of stale air slowly floating to the now open doorway.
For a moment, Chrysalis just stood in the doorway looking in at the space. Her attention was drawn away when one of the guards that escorted her there cleared his throat,making an obvious âAhemâ.
Chrysalis looked to the guard, as he motioned to the inside of the storage room.
âW-Wait,â Chrysalis questioned, catching on to what he meant, âIn there?â
âWhy else do you think we came here?â The blue guard clearly thought the intent was obvious.
Chrysalis started shaking a bit. The room was bare. And the door made her feel as if she was actually getting put in a high security dungeon.
âIâŚI-â Chrysalisâ nervous protest was cut off by the red guard.
âLook, itâs not going to be forever, and thereâs a light in here, so you wonât be in the dark,â the guard said with reassurance and a pinch of impatience.
Chrysalis looked into the space again, âYouâreâŚYouâre sure they wonât find me here?â
âThe door will register as locked,â the blue guard assured her, âSo on the off chance that the unexpected tour group comes down here, this door wonât be opened.â
Chrysalis sweat a little. She knew that she had to go in there, or risk being discovered. Collecting all her nerves, and taking a deep breath, she slowly walked into the room.
As she entered, she examined her surroundings. The walls and floor were smooth and featureless. Not a single thing stood out about them. On the ceiling, a mass of bio-luminescent plant life anchored its roots. It was the most interesting thing in the room.
âOh, before we forget,â the red guard piped up, âWe got you somethings to keep you occupied.â He floated a large, hiking style pack over to Chrysalis, who took it in her own magic.
Opening the flap, she looked to see what was in it. It was a rather interesting assortment. Inside, there were a couple of books, a pillow and sleeping bag, a small bag of cookies, a drawing pad with pencils, a bottle of Love Extract, and a ball. All together, it was a recipe for a few hours worth of self-entertainment.
âOne more thing,â the blue guard grabbed the handle of the door in preparation to close it, âTry to stay as quiet as possible. The door may be thick, but itâs not sound proof.â
âO-Okay,â was all that Chrysalis could manage.
âGreat, see you in a bit.â The two then proceeded to push the large door closed. The sound was akin to that of a stronghold fortress gate closing and locking. The amount of outside light shrunk and shrunk until just a sliver could get in before the door shut. Chrysalis tried her best not to shake. She tried so hard not to buckle under the stress and panic. Finally, the doors closed all the way, and the plants hanging from the roof began to glow.
At that moment, she ran up to the doors. She didnât know what she was trying to accomplish. It was far too late to back out. That, and there had been no other viable options. She heard the guards on the other side. Putting her ear to the door, she listened.
~~~~~~~~~~<
âAlright then, thatâs done.â
âYou think sheâll be okay in there?â
âWe gave her some stuff and told her to keep it down. That and the door is locked. Itâs highly unlikely that sheâll be found.â
âIf this doesnât work, itâs your funeral.â
âYeah, yeah. Letâs get back to Thorax before the guests start wandering around.â
âHey, you didnât call him âYour Majestyâ that time.â
âI always mess up when Iâm around him!â
âOld habits die hard, my friend.â
âCome on, letâs go.â The two trotted away, their steps leaving echos that slowly faded as they left.
~~~~~~~~~~~<
Chrysalis was slightly disappointed. She hadnât learned anything new about the current situation.
âNo use dwelling on it I guess,â she thought, walking over to the spot where her bag lay. She decided to sort her things and see exactly what she had.
She once again found herself looking around the room. The walls werenât just smooth, they were solid. The general atmosphere of the whole space was rather dismal, almost prison like.
A terrifying thought then materialized in her mind: Was she being imprisoned? Was this whole situation a set up for the ponies to capture her?
As much as she hated to give her paranoia any acknowledgement, she began to consider the possibility in regards to her current position. It was a good place to catch her. An enclosed space, with only one way out. She would also be very much outnumbered.
However, upon further inspection of her current inventory, the likelihood of this being for her capture decreased. Several of the items she had could be used as weapons. The sleeping bag and pillow were more in the distractions area, but the books and bottle were definitely more viable options. If this was a set up for her capture, it was already rather poor.
Simple really, smash the base of the bottle, use the books as crude shields and instruments of smacking.
âMagic inhibitors,â Chrysalisâ brain spurted out, apparently thinking of every terrible thing that could happen in her current situationâŚagain.
That was, however, quickly remedied. Magic inhibitors had to be applied manually due to the materials they were made of. One could not just levitate them on. So dodging and disarming seemed like the best strategy if things went wrong.
âBesides, Iâm strong. Iâve practiced fighting without magic. I can work with it.â There was an edge of pride in her thoughts.
Chrysalis reached for the bottle of Extract, until one final possibility entered her conscious. âDrugged foodâ .
The bottle was centimeters from her hoof. The idea that the edibles she had been provided with made her freeze. She looked down at the food from the pack. Was it laced with sleeping powder, or something of the sort?
Only one way to find out.
Chrysalis slowly took hold of the bottle, and carefully pulled out the cork cap. This was, regrettably, one of those moments here her past experience as a tyrant and social infiltrator would come in handy.
Chrysalis was no stranger to sleeping spells, compounds, and potions. She had used them in the past to make poniesâŚeasier to work with. Also, as a Changeling, she had a very acute sense of smell. Mix those two together, and you know exactly what drugged items smell like.
Careful not to inhale too much of the wisps from the bottle, she brought it to her nose and took a few sniffs.
As the smell hit her nose several nightmarish fantasies swirled in her head. Ideas of her quickly falling unconscious, hitting the floor as everything faded to black. She shut her eyes tight in preparation for impending unconsciousness.
âŚ
Nothing. Not a thing.
Risking another smell, Chrysalis took a long deep sniff. Once again, nothing.
She immediately went to the cookies and any other food stuffs in the bag. Not a single thing.
âStupid paranoia,â Chrysalis cursed internally. She took a swig of Extract from the bottle, and picked up one of the books that were in the pack. It was less for actually reading and more for drawing her attention away from the noise in her mind. The new distant voice most of all, as it echoed its incomplete words.
âRuâŚruâŚruâŚâ
It wasnât blaring, but it was noticeable if one had nothing else to focus on. And it was constantly trying to get her attention.
Chrysalis took a deep breath, and, putting as much focus on it as possible, opened to the first page of her book.
âIn the beginning, there was nothingâŚâ
Author's Note
Ta-Da! It's here!
Chapter 19: The Start of the Act
Author's Note
So I have an important question.
I'm working on starting a YouTube channel, and I am presented with three options:
1: Hide my face and keep my anonymity, at the cost of not being able to do as many things as i'd like
2: Show my face and be able to do more of the thing i'd like to, but lose my anonymity
OR
3: Find a kind of compromise between the first two options
What do you guys think?
Anyway, enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 19: The Start of the Act
âThere is so much that could go wrong here.â Thorax thought out loud walking with his brother to the waiting room. Beyond its door, was everything he had been fearing for a long time.
âThorax, Iâm pretty sure that youâve done more with less,â Pharynx accompanied Thorax, acting as moral support.
âNone of it was hosting an impromptu tour for surprise guests as a ploy for hiding one of the most wanted individuals in all of Equestria.â
âTrue, but that doesnât mean that you canât pull this off.â The brothers made it to the door. Pharynx turned to Thorax, whose brow had sweat being to form.
âBro,â Pharynx wiped his brotherâs forehead, âChill out, okay?â
Thorax took a deep breath, his eyes filling with courage and determination, âOkay, We can do this. I can do this.â
He put his hoof in the knob in preparation to open it. âFake it till you make it.â He kept that phrase in his mind.
After one more deep breath, he opened the door to the waiting room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~<
âItâs taking him a long time to get here,â Rarity looked to the door with an expression of slight confusion.
âUgh, weâve been here for hours!â Rainbow Dash made her boredom very vocal as she floated about the room.
âDash, weâve only been here for a few minutes.â Twilight pointed out.
âWell it feels like longer,â The cyan pegasus pouted as she descend to the ground. âWhatâs the holdup?â
Celestia sat peacefully on one of the benches in the room. âIâm sure that theyâre just making some final preparations.â
âThorax always did get a bit antsy when it came to preparing for guests,â Cadence recalled.
Rainbow Dash looked around the room when her gaze was drawn by the pink, party pony, sitting almost perfectly still.
The sight amazed her. âOkay, I gotta know. How is Pinkie Pie among the calmest of us?â
âAs a master of surprise parties, I have to be patient,â Pinkie Pie explained in her usual bubbly tone, âI once had to wait a whole day doing nothing but hiding and perfectly still and quiet before I could jump out and say âSurprise!â So Iâve got this waiting thing down.â
Dash rolled her eyes, âOf course you do.â She gave a little huff. Another absurd, adventurous idea popped into her head. âOh maybe they-!â
âNo Dash,â Twilight said, not raising her eyes from the book she brought with her, âThey were not eaten by a giant, mutant, spider monster.â
Rainbow Dash frowned a bit. âLucky guess,â she pouted.
An awe filled gasp could be heard from Pinkie Pieâs seat. Next thing, Pinkie Pie was in Twilightâs face.
âAre you psychic?!â She asked excitedly.
Twilight had a nagging feeling that she should be used to this by now, seeing as how this wasnât the first time Pinkie had asked her that question.
Twilight sighed, âNo Pinkie, Iâm not physic.â
âOh, okay,â the party pony smiled and darted back to her seat.
A few more silent minutes passed.
The sound of a door opening got the roomâs attention, as the distinct figures of two Changelings walked in. The sight brought a smile to everyone in the room.
âHello everypony,â Thorax said, âHope I didnât keep you waiting to long.
~~~~~~~~~~<
Chrysalis paused, looking up from the book she was reading. She looked around the room, expecting something or someone to be there. There was a presence in the room, it just couldnât be seen.
That, or her nonexistent imagination was running wild.
âBy creation, this feels like a cell.â
She cautiously returned to reading her book.
âI must be going crazy.â
~~~~~~~~~~~<
âThorax!!â The Mane Six happily exclaimed. They all ran over to greet him.
âHey, everypony!â Thorax waved, smiling to everyone. He looked to the element bearers, and took the obvious joke opportunity. âHey , did you guys get shorter , or is just me?â
âOh, hush you,â Applejack playfully nudged Thorax.
âYeah, yeah, I know,â Thorax chuckled, âLow hanging fruit.â He looked about the room, trying to keep things casual, âSay, whereâs Starlight, Trixie, Spike, and Discord?â
âOh, they said they couldnât come,â Fluttershy said in their meek but audible voice, âTheyâre sorry.â
âAh, Itâs alright, Thorax assured, âEveryone has things they need to do at times.â He turned to face the two ponies that first gave him a proper home.
Cadence walked up the Changeling King that used to be her subject. âItâs great to see you, Thorax!â She smiled, expressing her genuine happiness.
âItâs been too long since we last spoke,â Shining Armor added on.
Thorax smiled in response. âCadence! Shining! How are you two these days?â
Cadence gave her former subject a short, friendly hug âWeâre doing well, thanks for asking.â
Thorax cocked an eyebrow and smirked. âWait a second. Are you visiting, or are you trying to get me to watch Flurry Heart again.â
Cadence laughed as Her husband answered, âNo, just wanted to visit, no ulterior motivate.â
Thorax chuckled, âSeriously, how is the little ankle biter?â
Cadence recovered from her laughter, ââLittleâ isnât the word Iâd use to describe her nowadays. Sheâs gotten pretty big.â
âReally? Well then, I guess Iâll have to visit some time,â Thorax said.
A waving, multi-colored mane caught Thoraxâs eye. He turned his head to find himself looking at the Royal Sisters. On impulse, he made his whole body face them, and bowed.
âYour Majesties,â He said, lowering his head and closing his eyes.
Celestia chuckled a little at the sight. âThorax, thereâs no need to be so formal.â
âStill, we appreciate the show of respect,â Luna added on.
âO-Of course, sorry,â Thorax rose to his feet, âItâs kind of a reflex.â
âWell then,â Rarity said, fixing her mane, âYou are our host. Lead the way.â
âActually,â the young king responded, âIâve organized for some of you to meet with some important members of our community. So-â
Thorax was then swiftly tackled by a pink projectile.
Pinkie Pie proceeded to tightly hug his neck. âWe get to see your Hive and all the crazy stuff in it! This is so exciting!!â
âP-PinkieâŚNeed air.â
âWhoops, sorry.â Pinkie released Thorax from her vice grip.Thorax was more than happy to breathe again.
Regaining his composure, he started to go down the list.
âUh, okay, Twilight, youâll be meeting with Dr. Cloverfield in the medical wing. Rarity, youâre going to meet Thimble. Sheâs a sweet kid, I think youâll like her. Fluttershy, youâll be escorted to meet our garden society. Rainbow Dash, I think youâll like our athletics group. Finally Pinkie, Applejack, Iâve set up a meeting with our farmers and Tibia.â Thorax looked directly at the two, âWhen you meet Tibia, please, please , donât make a mess of her kitchen.â
âOkie-Dokie-Loki!â Pinkie Pie assured.
âI assume you have some kind of similar plan for us?â Luna asked.
âWell, for Shining, I figured that he could meet with Pharynx, since his recruits are under my brotherâs care at the moment,â Thorax suggested as his brother stepped forward to face the Prince of The Crystal Empire.
âAs for the rest of you,â Thorax continued, âMaybe we can go to my study and talk?â
âThat sounds wonderful,â Celestia said happily, âIt would be nice to catch up.â
âGreat!â Thorax smiled, âThese guards will escort you to where you need to be. Shining, your with Pharynx. And the rest of you, follow me.â
âLead the way,â Cadence said.
The ponies began to leave the room, heading of to see all the new and strange things throughout the Hive.
Shining Armor and Pharynx, however, stayed behind.
Pharynx stepped forward to face the Prince of The Crystal Empire.
Shiningâs expression flattened, neutral. The two military leaders stared at each other with perfect posture in silence.
They then saluted each other, Pharynx speaking first.
âCaptain,â He said.
âGeneral,â Shining responded.
They soon broke their salutes and started laughing.
âGood to see ya, Pharynx.â
âAnd you, Shining.â
They both took a moment to recover from their laughter.
âSo, how have the recruits been treating you?â
âYouâre asking how theyâve been treating me ?â
âShould I worry about how youâre treating them?â
âIâm sure the troops would appreciate your concern.â
The two of them laughed a little more.
âWell then Captain, how about we check up on the recruits?â
âLead the way, General,â Shining Armor did an exaggerated bow.
The two military leaders then left the room for the courtyard.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~<
âOh, curses,â Chrysalis quietly swore as she ripped yet another piece of paper from the sketch-pad. She was trying to replicate what seemed like a simple picture from one of the books she had.
It turned out to be a rather taxing effort.
Lines would be in the wrong places, some parts would be too big or too small, and a host of other problems.
She took a small bite out of one of the snacks in her bag, glaring at the image that was giving her so much trouble.
âStupid lack of artistic talent,â she mentally cursed, throwing the pencil to the ground.
Her frustration passed, carrying as much emotional weight as a forgettable childhood experience. Chrysalis sighed. She knew this sort of thing took years of practice. What she expecting to happen, that she would become a professional overnight?
âNo,â she privately admitted to herself, âNo, thatâs not going to happenâŚjust like a lot of things.â
Chrysalis moved to pick up the pencil, when she felt a twinge. Another feeling of disturbance in the space around her.
She suddenly felt closed in, claustrophobic, imprisoned. The room was pretty big, yet it felt like it had the dimensions of a dungeon cell. The thought began to make her shudder.
Out of nowhere that pesky voice spoke up again, still unable to spit out a full word.
âRuâŚRuâŚRuâŚâ
âOh for love of- Why canât you just say a whole word?â Chrysalis angrily questioned in her mind.
There was no response.
Chrysalis groaned, rubbing her forehead. The new voice in her head, had gone from unsettling to the early stages of being annoying.
Returning her gaze to the pencil, she picked it up and returned it to the drawing-pad, opting to read another book instead.
Though, it was harder to keep her thoughts off the voice and the light sense of imprisonment at the same time.
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Chapter 20: All Part(s) of the Show: Twilight and Rarity
Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter. View Online
Chapter 20: All Part(s) of the Show (Part 2): Applejack and Pinkie Pie
âAnd make sure she never finds the utensils!â Tibia wasnât taking any chances. She had heard many a tale about the Element of Laughter. If she was coming into her kitchen, then she was not going to trash the place. The Changeling chef had the fullest intention to âPinkie-proofâ the kitchen. Even though nothing of the sort had ever been achieved, that didnât mean she wasnât going to try.
âAre they almost here?â Tibia asked one of her assistants.
âTheyâre right down the hall.â
âGreat, now get to your station! Having guests doesnât mean no work!â
âYes Chef!â
Tibia turned to the rest of the kitchen staff, âThat goes for the rest of you to! Put your heart into your cooking, and not just when special guests are coming!â
âYes Chef!â
Tibia heard the sound of approaching hoof-steps. She stood at the door, bracing herself for the oncoming onslaught of hyperactive energy that she had only heard about through word-of-mouth.
A knock came at the door. She took a deep breath. âItâs now or never.â
The was opened and sure enough, the Elements of Honesty and Laughter were there.
âHi there!â Pinkie Pie loudly greeted.
âHowdy Miss.â Applejack tipped her hat to the Changeling.
âBonjour, Madam Pinkie Pie, Madam Applejack,â Tibia politely bowed her head a little, âIt is wonderful to have you two here.â
âOh, itâs nothing,â said Applejack humbly âWeâre just happy to be here-â
âYEAH! Like super-duper-wooper happy to be here!â Pinkie Pie shouted.
âOf course,â Tibia forced a smile, hoping that Applejack would make this easier to handle. âPlease, come in. Iâm sure there is much you would like to see. Oh, and put these hair nets on please.â
âIâve never seen an industrial kitchen before!â Pinkie bounced in anticipation.
âIâm sure it ainât to different from a regularâŚoldâŚâ Applejack fell silent.
Tibia smirked satisfied with her guestsâ amazement.
And they were amazed. The smell of several different dishes being cooked at once filled the air. Noise was constant, activity was high, and the space was massive. It was all ovens, burners, sinks, cabinets and more.
âBehold,â Tibia proclaimed, âMy kitchen!â
As they walked around the place, the two ponies continued to be amazed. All the Changeling cooks were vigorously stirring bowls and flipping pans. Some had even given themselves extra hooves to handle their duties.
Applejackâs senses were overwhelmed. Never had she seen such an expansive and busy kitchen in her life. Not even the kitchen in Canterlot Castle was as big, and it certainly wasnât as active.
âIâŚI-I donât know what to say,â Applejack struggled to form a complete sentence, âI mean, this is just incredible!â
âThatâs very kind of you to say,â Tibia said, adjusting one cookâs posture.
âOoooooo.â Pinkie Pie was in hyperactive âpoke everything, and ask questions faster than any pony can answer themâ mode.
Which wasnât good.
At all.
âWhatâs this do? Whatâs this do? Oh, whatâs this do?â
âPinkie, quit messing around,â Applejack attempted to get Pinkie Pie to stop, âYou canât just-â
âOooo, whatâs this do?â Surprisingly, it didnât work.
Tibia snatched up Pinkie Pie and planted her on the ground. She delivered an annoyed expression. âMadam Pinkie Pie,â Tibia said, âYou can not go poking and prodding everything you see. Especially when you are a guest in someling elseâs home. You should know better than to do that!â
Pinkie Pie smiled nervously. âSorry,â She said, her hyperactive state passing like a breeze, âJust got super excited.â
Tibia took a deep breath, letting her nerves settle, âApology accepted. Now, are you calm enough to not poke and prod everything you see?â
âYep,â Pinkie said in a cheery tone.
âWonderful,â Tibia regained her earlier composure, âSo, with that out of the way, I have a question for the two of you.â
âUh, whatâs your question?â Applejack was still a little star struck that the Changeling Chef had stopped Pinkie as quickly as she had.
âWas I wrong when I heard that both of you bake?â Tibia inquired.
Pinkie got a lot of energy back.
âAre you kidding!? Itâs one of my specialties! I can make the best sugar pastries, and Applejackâs apple products are the best!â
âIs that soâŚ?â Tibiaâs curiosity had been awoken
âWell, I donât wanna bragâŚâ Applejack said trying to remain as humble as possible.
Tibia then said four words that ensured the events of the next few minutes:
âWell thenâŚProve it.â
A baking competition quickly ensued.
Author's Note
Shoutout to Shinzakura for pointing out my incorrect spelling of words(French and English) from the comment section below. I highly appreciate it. Thank you.
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Chapter 20: All Part(s) of the Show(Part 3): The Rest of the Side Characters
âItâs really nice to meet you, uhâŚ?â
âIris, Ms. Fluttershy, my name is Iris.â The Changeling gardener shook Fluttershyâs hoof.
âR-Right, Iris. Sorry for-â
âYou have nothing to apologize for Ms. Itâs all good.â
âOf course,â Fluttershy was still trying to get over the nervous feeling she got when meeting new ponies, or Changelings in this case. Granted, it was nowhere near as bad as it used to be, but still. âSo, uh, if itâs alright to askâŚâ
âHmm?â
âW-Whatâs it like curating the garden?â Fluttershy asked.
Much to Fluttershyâs confusion, Iris laughed a little at the question.
âYou flatter me, Ms. Fluttershy. However, Iâm not Head Curator.â
âOh,â Fluttershyâs ears drooped a little, she felt a little silly, âSo, who is the Head Curator?â
âMeeeeeeeeee!â said a sing-song voice.
A baby blue Changeling swung open the door. She wore a white apron with a flower pattern. The apron and herself were smudged with dirt, grass blades, and a variety of flower petals.
Fluttershy was a bit shaken by the Changelingâs sudden entry. âH-HelloâŚâ
âMs. Fluttershy, this is-â Iris was cut off by the new face in the room.
âYou must be Fluttershy! Iâve heard so much about you.â
âT-Thank you,â Fluttershy stuttered, âAnd you areâŚ?â
âOh, of course, how could I forget?â The gardener Changeling outstretched her hoof in welcoming, âMy name is Proboscis, Head Curator of the gardens, and it is wonderful to meet you.â
Fluttershy felt a little more comfortable knowing the Changelingâs name, âItâs nice to meet you to.â
Proboscis looked to Iris, âSay, you wanna come along?â
âI would love to, but I have to go check on the rose bushes in the green house. Maybe later on.â
Proboscis just smiled, âSuit yourself. See ya later!â She waved as Iris left to attend to the roses.
âSo, whatâs it like being Head Curator?â Fluttershy asked, now knowing that this was the right Changeling to ask.
âOh, itâs a ton of work, what with hunting down weeds, trimming everything to make sure nothing takes up too much space and sunlight, and making sure every blade of grass is healthy. But itâs completely worth it,â Proboscis went on, âAll the flowers, and trees, and swirling colors, itâs like growing a painting!â
The description had Fluttershy hanging on every word.
âOh my,â Fluttershy said, âIs it really that?â
âYes!â Proboscis exclaimed with cheer. âOh, but donât just take my word for it.â She put a hoof around Fluttershyâs neck and began leading her through the room ahead, âLetâs go see it for ourselves!â
Their pace had speed but wasnât rushed. There was time to properly see and register the surrounding area. And in Fluttershyâs opinion the contents of the room were very interesting. All along the shelves and tables there were many plants. Some were familiar and some were completely new to her. Almost every plant was either in a strange kind of pot or had an assortment of glass tubes going into its soil. A whole host more were hanging from the ceiling.
As they continued, Fluttershy gazed through several windows into another room, that had several greenhouses in it. Iris could be seen in one of them, tending to the roses within it.
âOh my goodness,â Fluttershy was amazed by the strange assortment of potted plants, âWhat is all this?â
âThis is where we cultivate new plants, test out new plant feed, and get the new seeds ready for the big garden.â Proboscis explained. âSpeaking of whichâŚâ
The had made it to a small door on the other end of the room. âThis is our secret entrance to the garden,â Proboscis said, trying to contain her excitement.
Fluttershy stood there, admiring the door. It was just a simple door and she liked that about it. Proboscis nudged her shoulder.
âWell,â the Changeling gardener insisted, âOpen it.â
Fluttershy stuttered, âM-Me?â
âWell of course,â Proboscis cheerful encouraged, âYou're the guest who's never seen it, so you should open the door!â Proboscis nudged Fluttershy forward another inch. âGo on, open it!â
â...O-Okay.â Fluttershy took a deep breath. She grasped the knob of the door and twisted it.
The door opened and the most beautiful sight in the world graced her eyes.
â...OhâŚmyâŚâ
~~~~~~~~~~~~~<
âCompany, begin!â A Changeling sergeant ordered. The pony trainees followed the command immediately, rushing up to the obstacle course, climbing, jumping, and crawling through.
As the troops went about following orders, two military leaders looked on. Shining Armor looked at the the ponies with a smile. They showed discipline and strength.
âLooks to me like youâve been doing a good job,â Shining said, giving praise to his Changeling friend, âBehavior wise, I can barely recognize them.â
âWell, I do try my best,â said Pharynx. âI swear, if the majority of these numskulls go back to their usual antics when heâs gone, I will brutally hurt them.â Naturally, he kept that thought to himself.
As the two military leaders slowly walked through the courtyard, a pony trainee going through the obstacle course, wearing an odd set of equipment, caught Shiningâs attention.
âPharynx,â Shining pointed in the direction of the pony in question, âThat one over there, whatâs his story?â
âAh, Private Aster,â Pharynx remarked as he watched, âHeâs a special case that one. Very intelligent, can very determined, but he doesnât always believe heâs any good.
âEspecially when it comes to physical training. Iâm having him do extra exercises to build up strength. And that equipment is meant to help him better maneuver obstacles. A temporary aid.â Pharynx smiled, seeing young recruits succeed filled him with pride.
âItâs good to see youâre taking care of them,â Shining said, âI was afraid that I would come back to a pile of worn out, broken bodies.â The two had a small laugh over that.
They continued to watch the recruits, until they had completed the course.
âForm Companies!â Shining Armor ordered. The troops did so as quickly as they could. They lined up in front of the two commanding officers, quietly awaiting orders (That or a grilling).
âSo, Captain Shining,â Pharynx asked, âDo these results satisfy you?â
âYou have done an exceptional job, General Pharynx,â Shining complemented.
Pharynx bowed his head, âThank you, Sir.â
Shining then looked to the pony trainees that he had left to Pharynx. âThat goes for all of you as well,â he announced, âYou have all made great amounts of progress in your training. You truly make me and the rest of Equestria proud.
The the foreign exchange recruits saluted Captain Armor. Some cracked small smiles, and others got wet eyes. They all gave a collective and hearty: âSir, Thank you, Sir!â
Pharynx turned to look at the Changeling officer who had taken over for the day.
âOfficer,â Pharynx instructed, âGet these troops back to their drills.â
The officer simply nodded and said, âYes, Sirâ. He set the trainees back to work on that dayâs drills and exercises.
âSo, Shining,â Pharynx said, âI was wondering if you would like to do a bit of sparring.â
Shining looked at the Changeling General with some initial surprise. However, as the idea stirred in his head, he smiled. While it was amusing to watch his troops go about their routine, it would be a whole lot more fun to have a friendly duel with Pharynx. That, and he was getting rusty and a little out of shape(but he would never admit that).
âIâd be more than happy to,â the pony Captain of guard said, âWhere to?â
Pharynx started leading Shining back towards the Hive. âWe have a small fighting ring inside. We can-â
The General was interrupted when a blue, feathered form hit the ground and slid across it, landing right in front of the two military leaders.
Rainbow Dash lay dazed, groaning as her entire body ached(If you squint and use your imagination, you could see little Changelings flying around her head).
The cyan pegasus slowly leaned up, holding her aching head. However upon opening her eyes she found herself looking right into the eyes of Pharynx.
âDash,â the General asked, âWere you trying to get the Chief Air Marshal to race you?â
Dash pouted, turning her head away from Pharynx. âMaybe,â She said with an air of annoyance.
â...By nagging and heckling him?â Pharynx continued.
Rainbow Dash continued to act like a child. She didnât want to admit that she had gotten thrown through the air like a hoof-ball.
So naturally her response was, âMaybeâ.
She glanced at Pharynx for a moment. Which turned out to be a big mistake.
Once she made eye contact, she was frozen in place. The ice cold stare that the General delivered held Dashâs attention. For some reason, the whole world seemed to get a lot colder.
âRainbow Dash,â Pharynx said in a flat tone that made it very clear what mood he was in.
âYes?â Dash said somewhat meekly.
âGet on that obstacle course,â the General ordered, âNow.â
Sweat was starting to form on the pegasusâ forehead. She quickly darted off to do that course that all the other ponies there were doing.
Shining Armor marveled at what he had just seen. âThat was really cool!â He said, completely amazed.
âNow,â Pharynx returned his attention to his guest, âAbout that sparring match.â
Author's Note
And that should do it for the out-right filler content. I just wanted to cover all my bases.
The next few chapters will put the focus back on our main characters, and actually progress the plot.
Until then, have a good day!
Chapter 21: In Regards to Royalty
And another book was added to the pile. An average pony might recommend to Chrysalis that she pace herself and take a break between each book. To which she would reply with either a glare, hiss, or just flat-out ignore them. At this point, she wasnât going through her books like fire wood for entertainment. Now she was doing it for distraction. While her subconscious hadnât spoken up in a while, that didnât stop dark thoughts from entering her mind. Her attempts at imagining a field of green grass, butterflies, and pixies were thwarted by images of hail-fire and brimstone. And all the while, that stupid voice in her head kept randomly spewing out incomplete words. The fact that the mental noise was growing in clarity just made things worse.
Chrysalis longed for the moment that she could get out of that-
âPrison,â The word just popped into her head. Immediately, Chrysalis shook her head furiously, as if the word would eventually fall out of her head through her ears. To her dismay, it stayed right where it was. Chrysalis hated it.
However, when one is alone for too long, they often have too much time to think. And when a train of thought gets started, thereâs hardly any stopping it.
Chrysalis didnât want to pay the idea any mind, but she couldnât help thinking about it. The more she considered her circumstances, the more the word stuck.
She was in a closed space with a locked door that she could not open, and she couldnât leave of her own accord. All things considered, it did feel like a-
âPrison Cellâ , There it was again. Chrysalis shook her head again, almost picking up one of the hardcover books in her pile to smash against her head.
âThis is not a prison cellâ , she repeated again and again in her mind. She tried desperately for images of the Canterlot Castle royal dungeon to not manifest in her imagination. The effort was taxing.
âNo, no, no, no!â It felt like she was trying to hold back a river all on her own.
Eventually her mind drifted off to other places, but the dread remained in the corners of her psyche.
Chrysalis groaned in exhaustion. âIâll just sleep the hours away,â She said.
After a few seconds of padding the bag with her hooves, she laid on top of the sleeping bag and gently lay her head into the pillow. She then closed her eyes, trying to find a quiet place in her head. Just one solitary, quiet place. She focused on that one spot and stayed there. Away from all the sobbing, screaming, anachronistic thoughts, and all the noise.
All except for one.
âRu⌠Ru⌠RuâŚâ
That strange voice in her head.
âUnâŚUnâŚUnâŚâ
That repetitive,-
âRu⌠Ru⌠RuâŚâ
Persistent,-
âUnâŚUnâŚUnâŚâ
Unrelenting voice stuck with her.
All the way to sleep.
Her fitful, fear-filled, paranoid sleep.
Author's Note
I feel like this story is coming closer and closer to a close...
What do you think?
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Chapter 22: An Odd and Highly Inconvenient Change in Behavior
To Thoraxâs surprise, everything was going better than expected. Sure it was a bit nerve wracking to have the Elements of Harmony wondering about the Hive, as well as sitting in a room with the three Equestrian Princesses. Aside from that, however, there was no reason to panic. In fact, the more he continued to (awkwardly) exchange pleasantries with the Princesses, the more confident he became in the situation.
âBy Faust,â Thorax thought, âI just might be able to pull this off.â
The sound of laughter returned his attention to reality. Cadence was finishing up a story about the time Shining Armor went to the dentist to get some extra teeth removed. The details of his appointment were hilarious.
âThe dentist had given him so much anesthesia, that he couldnât talk right for weeks!â Cadence said through her laughter, âHe sounded like a newborn foal!â
The rest of the table laughed. Luna even smacked the table. The idea of a grown stallion being so numb in the mouth that they couldnât form a whole word was funny all on its own. The fact that the pony in question was Shining Armor just made it even better.
âOh, that poor boy,â Celestia commented as she recovered.
âI could do an impression of what Shining Armor would be like in that state, but Iâm not gonna,â Thorax said, wiping his eyes.
Lunaâs attention quickly went to the young king, âOh, please do! We demand to see it!â
Thorax rubbed the back of his neck. âI donât know. I mean, itâs rude, and-â
âThorax,â Cadence interrupted, âWeâre all grownups, and heâs not even here.â
Thorax bit his lip for a moment, but soon caved. With a swirl of magic flame, he looked just like Shining Armor. Of course, he let his tongue partly hang limply out of his mouth. And to take it even further, he spoke with his tongue out to impersonate Shiningâs voice. The room burst out in laughter.
âThatâs perfect!â Cadence exclaimed.
Celestia continued her efforts to not completely bust a gut, when she noticed the position of the sun in the sky.
âOh dear,â She said, âHonestly, where does all the time go?â
Celestiaâs comment drew everyoneâs attention to the time as well. Thorax looked around the table trying to work out an organic thing to say.
âI suppose you need to get back home?â Thorax said, making sure to sound down about it (Truthfully, part of him was a bit down about it. The little meeting had been fun, though a little hectic).
âIndeed,â Luna said, rising from her seat, âWe can only stay away from the palace and our duties for so long.â
âIâm sorry Thorax,â Cadence walked over to the Changeling King and gave him a friendly hug, âWish we could have stayed longer.â
âItâs okay, everyoneâs got work to do,â Thorax returned the hug, then went to open the door, âAnd besides, Iâll come and visit you next time.â
âThat sounds lovely Thorax,â Celestia said with a smile as they exited the room, âDo send a letter when you can.â
Thorax smiled and nodded. âUnlike me, youâre guaranteed to read it.â
Hoof steps drew the attention of the group.
âI think that might be the rest of our group.â Cadence said.
Indeed it was, and the Princesses would have greeted them if it werenât for their appearances.
Pinkie-Pie and Applejack were messes of powder, batter, icing, and a host of other things involved with baking. Rarity had her hair in a bun, with sewing pins stuck into the base of it looking over a sketch book. Fluttershy had some dirt on her as well as a collection of very exotic looking flowers. Twilight was carrying a ludicrous amount of notebooks and loose papers both in her saddle bag and in her magic.
The only thing any of them had in common was that they were still talking to the Changelings that the had met with.
The room was abuzz with chatter, and the exchange of ideas.
Thorax and the Royal Sisters could only stare, but Cadence got everyoneâs attention.
âWait!â She exclaimed, causing everyone to stop, âWhereâs Shining and Rainbow?â
It was only at that moment that everyone realized that they were indeed missing two members.
Fortunately, the sound of hooves coming down the hall to the groupâs right, drew their attention to three figures, two ponies and one changeling, approaching them.
âHey everypony!â Shining called as he came into view.
âOh, good there you are,â Cadence breathed a sigh of relief, âI was worried that you-Oh my goodness!â
Cadenceâs reaction was not uncalled for. Rainbow Dash on her own was a sweating mess, panting like a dog and wheezing like an asthma patient. She looked like she had spent three straight hours in the shower and forgot to dry off. This was indeed one of the rare times where Dash was legitimately tired.
Shining Armor and Pharynx were even worse, as the leaned against one another for support. Aside from being sweaty, they also looked like they had been in a fight. Shining had several bruises all over his body, with a slight limp in his left front leg, and Pharynx had similar bruises plus a black eye.
âWhat?â Shining asked as if this were a normal occurrence.
âShining, what happened to you?! Are you alright?!â
âIâm fine Cadence, really. Itâs okay.â
Pharynx was about to remark âIâm fine, thanks for askingâ, but Thorax came to check on him with similar concern before he could.
âPharynx! Are you alright? Itâs anything broken? Are you-you-youâŚYou challenged Shining to a sparring match, didnât you?â
The Pony Captain and Changeling General simply smiled and said, âWe neither confirm, nor deny,â in unison.
There was some laughter and worry-filled complaints (Mostly from Cadence and Thorax) that filled the room.
However, in the midst of this, Pinkie-Pie twitched.
Normally, she would have made an outcry to warn everyone, but she didnât. This wasnât a normal twitch, like when her tail went off. This was something different. Rather than telling her to run from something, this was telling her to go to something. She looked down the hall behind her, and there was a spiral staircase that went up and down. This new, nagging feeling compelled her to take the staircase downâŚsomewhere.
In her usual Pinkie-Pie way, she stood at the foot of the stairs, looked at the rest of her compatriots and called out, âHey, Thorax!â
Thorax looked over Pinkie-Pie was. âYes, Pinkie?â He said, only to mentally seize up, upon seeing exactly where she was standing. And he wasnât the only one to notice. Pharynx, and the two Changeling guards that had escorted âThe Queen in Questionâ down those stairs, took notice as well.
Thorax began mental praying, âPlease donât ask whatâs down the stairs, please donât ask whatâs down the stairs, please donât ask whatâs down the stairsâ , as did all the other Changelings who knew what lay several flights below.
âWhatâs down these stairs?â Pinkie called.
âPony Feathers!â Thorax was so close to cursing out loud, but he managed to hold back the words, and maintained the same expression, despite the little beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
âJust some empty space. Nothing really interesting,â Thorax said in a calm, warm voice that was more for himself than anyone else, âNow, how about I personally escort you to your ride home?â
âCome on, Pinkie,â Apple Jack said.
The group started making their way towards the exit of the Hive, but Thorax stopped walking when he noticed the lack of the sound of spring- filled hoof-steps behind or among their group. Cause for even more concern.
Neither Thorax, nor his brother, nor the two Changeling guards accompanying them, wanted to look back. But alas, they had to.
All at once, these four Changelings turned around. They didnât like what they saw.
Pinkie-Pie was standing at the foot of the staircase, staring at the group like a clueless child. She quietly blinked and tilted her head to the left, only furthering the comparison.
It was getting harder for Thorax to fake a calm demeanor and a warm smile. A bead of sweat fell from his face to the floor. It went unnoticed.
Rarity spoke up, saving Thorax the trouble. âPinkie-Pie, are you alright,â She said, seeing that their friend hadnât moved from that very spot, âDarling, we must be going. Surely you have things to do at home?â
Pinkie-Pie looked at the staircase, then back to the group. Then back to the staircase. Then back to the group. She held her gaze on the small crowd of Changelings and Ponies for a while. Silence filled the hall like a tub, and the tension that was present was so tight that one could play the violin on it.
Thorax, Pharynx, and the two guards, hoped-prayed that Pinkie would just bounce right over to the group. That would solve so many problems they had at the moment.
Pinkie Pie lifted a hoof off the ground. They got hopeful.
*Zip! * With a single stretch of her impossibly elastic body, and a cartoonish sound, Pinkie-Pie disappeared down the staircase.
There was a moment of silence, as everyoneâs brains tried to catch up with, and comprehend what just happened.
SilenceâŚ
And thenâŚ
âAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!â Panicked screaming from four Changelings in the group.
âGet Them!!â Pharynx barked at the two guards under his command.
They didnât waste time with salutes and âYes, Sirâs. They immediately went into action. Using their spears to vault over those in their way and round tight corners, they quickly pursued the pink party pony.
Thorax, in a panic, ran down the steps to try and stop Pinkie-Pie as well.
âThorax!â Pharynx called as he then began chasing his brother.
Unfortunately, the rest of the group would soon follow. Applejack ran after the four Changelings and overly hyper pony, âPinkie-Pie, get back here!â
As the crowd of ponies, Royalty included, joined the fray, their Changeling escorts were quick to chase their guests. They didnât need a briefing to intuit what was happening and why it was probably bad.
An entire crowd of ponies and Changelings were racing down the spiral staircase, all in persuit of their fellows.
Not everyone knew what was happening. But those that did knew that more likely than not, this was going to go very, very wrong
Author's Note
Here we gooo!
Happy Valentines Day!
Chapter 23: Brain Cells and Bad Timing
Chrysalis groaned. Her head ached something fierce, mostly at the base of her horn. She tried massaging that area, but little relief was found.
As she began ignoring the pain, several questions arose. âWhy are the lights out? That stupid moss canât have just burned out, can it?â
Chrysalis was certainly annoyed. She began wandering over to the edge of the room to get a better vantage point, but then she noticed something. The room felt smaller. She kept walking, only to quickly bump into the wall. She walked over to the adjacent wall at the same pace. She quickly found her muzzle pressed up against it.
The room was smaller.
Chrysalis was starting to panic. âOkay Chrysalis, deep breaths. Deep breathsâŚAnd Iâm talking to myself.â
As her eyes adjusted to the newfound darkness, more details became apparent. The floor felt and looked like stone used for floors. The same stone lined the walls. It was cold. Uncharacteristically cold. And a bit damp to. All and all, it was pretty gross, even by her standards.
âOkay, I am going to find out whatâs going on,â She vowed to herself
She walked to reach the doorâŚOnly for her hooves to feel something very different.
Metal.
Cold rods of metal.
âBars?!â
Chrysalisâ panic jumped to eleven in a in a medically concerning amount of time. And not without out reason.
A dark, dank room made of cold stone and sealed with even colder bars brought only one thing to mind.
A cell.
A prison cell.
Chrysalis began hyperventilating, struggling to speak between breaths, scrambling and shuffling to the back wall.
âWha-How-When-Who?â Chrysalis was not a heavy sleeper, especially when she was anxious. And she had been very much on edge this entire time.
âWhat- What happened?â
âDoes that really matter right now?â
A voice came from down the hall. It was echoed and distorted, yet it sounded familiar.
With trepidation, Chrysalis slowly walked back to the bars. A figure walked into view from the left. It was definitely a pony. Based of the build they were definitely a stallion. Smooth coat and height suggested he was middle aged. Oddly despite her amazing night vision, she couldnât properly make out his face. It was very shadowed, as was most of his body. The oddly familiar stallion too a few steps towards the bars, making a few more of his details clearer.
Eyes still couldnât be made out. Well-trimmed, blue mane. Stocky hooves, snow-white coat-
âWait a second-â Chrysalis started putting all those details through her memory. It quickly settled on one individual. Her eyes widened, pupils shrunk, fear set in.
Shining Armor. All those details matched up with Shining Armor.
Chrysalis looked up at him, her face a mix of fear and confusion.
âFinally have you in a cage, right where you belong.â
âBut, how did you-?â
âYou have a lot of enemies. And Iâm friend with a lot of those enemies. Do the mat,.â The slightly off Shining Armor said, âThe others who aided in your capture couldnât be here to see you, but Iâm sure theyâll be more than willing to attend the carrying out of your sentence.â
âS-Sentence?â Chrysalis stuttered, âBut I-Iâve been trying to-â
Armor slammed his hooves against the bars, silencing her. âManipulating leaders, infiltrate government?â He accused.
âN-No, I-!â
âShut up, bug!â Shining cursed, âI donât care what evil acts you were trying pull off-!â
âI was just trying to make amends!â Chrysalis cried out in desperation to finish a sentence and make him listen.
A moment of silence came upon the space. It didnât last long, however.
âWell,â said the figure of Shining Armor, âYou can easily do that by being present for your own execution.â
Chrysalis froze up, mentally and physically, at the sentence. âExecutionâŚ?â She said, almost in a whisper.
âDid you really think Iâd let you get off without some kind of punishment,â he said, âNo slaps on the wrist for you.â
Chrysalis was starting to crash. She couldnât understand what was happening, or why it was happening. More hoof-steps came from down the hall. Shining Armor turned to face the new faces.
âWhat a surprise,â he said with a cruel little smile, âYou actually did make it.â
âAre you kiddingâŚâ said one voice. It was frighteningly familiar. The voice of the young Princess Twilight.
Then, all the new ponies in the room simultaneously said, âWE WOULDNâT MISS THIS FOR THE WORLD!â
Nothing but overlapping laughter, insults, and just noise rang in Chrysalisâ ears. The sounds of those stupid ponies wouldnât stop, her own outcries seemingly drowned out by them. And of course, that absolutely useless, annoying, repetitive voice in her head kept spitting out syllables.
âRuâŚâ
âUnâŚâ
âRuâŚâ
âUnâŚâ
âStop itâŚâ Chrysalis mentally pleaded, her frustration and anger growing.
âStop itâŚâ She felt a boiling in her blood. All the things she wanted began flooding into the forefront of her mind, making her thoughts even more of a mess than they already were.
âStop itâŚâ Her desires. That was all she could think of. She desired answers to all the questions she had, pleaded for a peaceful rest, and longed for those ponies toâŚ
âThose poniesâŚâ She longed for those ponies to see all the wrong they had done to her kind for hundreds of years. How they had forced Changelings to live on the edge of the world, surviving off of scraps. How their archaic self-righteousness had caused a species wide famine, as their health deteriorated and societies crumbled. They had made her into a monster.
And rather than fix herself and prove them wrong years ago, she made herself into even more of a monster, both to them and to the Changelings she once led.
She hated them for labeling her kind as monsters. She hated herself for consciously proving them right, and then some.
She longed for those stupid ponies to just-
âSTOP IT!!!!â Her outcry momentarily drowned out anything she could hear.
Her horn began sparkingâŚ
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<
When Pinkie Pie finally hopped off the staircase, she was slightly disappointed. The twitching she had felt was really strong, and she had expected it to take her somewhere great(at least to a party of some kind). Instead, she found herself in a large hall with big doors on each side. She didnât know where she was or why all the doors had jewels on them.
âHello!â She called out, âIs there a party down here?â She only got an echo in response.
Pinkie giggled at it, saying, âHey, Iâm asking you!â She was going to keep going as if she was talking to a real pony, until her ears started twitching.
They were only twitching once with a few seconds between, but they were twitching nonetheless.
Pinkie shrugged and turned to start walking back towards the stairs, until she noticed something: When she did turn back to the stairs, her ears twitched less. She turned back to face the hallway, they went back to twitching.
âOooooo!â Pinkie was very much intrigued. She started bouncing down the hall, following the twitching of her ears.
As she did so, the twitching became stronger and more frequent.
âOh, I wonder whatâs over there,â she asked herself.
She continued further down the hall, until, mid-bounce, she was tackled.
Both she and the one who grabbed her slammed back onto the ground, rolling across the floor before she finally landed on her back, looking up into the face of a very stressed, and very angry, Changeling General.
Of course Pinkie, being Pinkie, a master in art of being completely oblivious at the worst of times, couldnât put together the reality of her situation.
âOh! Are we playing tag? Am I it? Oh, or are we playing Guard Ponies and Thieves?â
Pharynx could only groan in response. âHow her friends put up with her antics, I may never know.â
The two Changeling guards soon followed. Then came Thorax.
âY-YouâŚ,â Thorax tried to catch as much of his own breath as possible, âYou got her?â
âYeah, I got her.â Pharynx refused to take his eyes of the pink, party pony out of fear that she might disappear if he wasnât looking at her.
âOh, good,â Thorax said, on the verge of having a heart attack.
âPinkie Pie!â The sound of Twilightâs voice echoed through the hall.
âOh boyâŚâ Thorax thought, as the sound of many hooves running across the floor filled the space.
The mane 6 gathered about the spot where Pharynx had Pinkie pined.
âPinkie Pie, are you alright?â Fluttershy asked.
âCan I get up and take my eyes off her now?â Pharynx asked.
âYes, weâve got it from here.â Twilight assured.
With that confirmation, Pharynx rolled off of Pinkie Pie and onto his back. His eyes watered as he closed them, to make up for their dryness.
âSooooâŚNo tag?â It was hard for everyone in the room to not groan at the party ponyâs question.
Twilight walked over to Pinkie Pie, helping her to her hooves.
âPinkie Pie, what were you-?â
âMadam Pinkie Pie!â A distinct, angry Prench accent rang out through the hall.
âT-Tibia,â Thimble stuttered, âMaybe you should take a moment to calm down?â
âTo Tartarus with calming down,â Tibia shouted, âI am giving this overgrown, self-centered, arrogant child the verbal thrashing she deserves!â
Tibia could stomp holes in the floor, she was so mad. Twilight tried to intercept the Prench Changeling, but was shoved aside.
âOh, hi Tibi-Ow!â Pinkie Pie yelped as she had her ear pulled on.
âMadam Pinkie Pie, have you completely forgotten everything I told you earlier about appropriate behavior in the homes of others? Because here you are demonstrating that you have! If this is how you act regularly, then how your friends put up with your outrageous behavior is beyond me-!â
âTibia!â Thorax shouted. He gave Tibia a hard glare, communicating his disapproval. âThatâs enough.â
Tibia finally took a moment to breathe. Her frustration subsided, and she stepped aside.
âWhile I donât entirely approve of Tibiaâs outburst, I do have to agree with the reasons behind it,â Thorax said gathering himself to act calm, despite the obvious problem. He helped Pharynx up before continuing, âCharging down here, without permission, after being told that it was time to go, was very inconsiderate of you.â
Pinkieâs ears drooped. On some level, she knew what she did was rude. âIâm sorry, itâs just that I felt a really strong twitching and-â
âWHAT!?â Everypony who knew the what happened when Pinkie Pie twitched reacted very strongly. Some dropped to the floor, others hid behind the others in the room to use them as shields.
Pinkie Pie giggled, âNo silly, not like that!â
Everypony opened their eyes, confused as to what Pinkie meant(and rightfully so).
âWait, what?â Rainbow Dash asked, coming out from behind Thorax.
âWell, I was twitching,â Pinkie confirmed, âBut it wasnât a âLook Outâ kinda twitch. More of a âOoo, Over Hereâ twitch. So I followed it, and it lead me here.â
The rest of the Royals joined the crowd in time to hear Pinkie Pieâs explanation. Their pony guards accompanied them.
âSo what you are saying is that, some strange, unexplainable force compelled you to come down here to thisâŚâ Luna paused for a moment, searching for the right word to describe the space, âContainment area?â
âThese are storage units.â Thorax clarified.
âWhy didnât you show us this?â Cadence asked.
âWell,â Thoraxâs internal panic was beginning to return, this was taking too long, âItâs a pretty generic space, so I didnât think it was that important.â
Pharynx, aided by the two Changeling troopers, managed to get back on his hooves. âPlus, most of these are filled with spare Hive resources, and the personal belongings of our citizens. It would be an invasion of privacy.â
Celestia nodded, âThat is more than understandable.â
Gathering his nerves and suppressing his panic, Thorax once again began ushering his guests out. âNow, letâs get ya home before it gets dark out.â
âBut what about my twitching?â Pinkie asked, sounding slightly disappointed.
âPinkie Pie, dear,â Rarity said, âWe are not going to invade the privacy of a Changeling just because your âPinkie-senseâ is on the fritz today.â
âAfter all,â Applejack added on, âWhat have they got to hide?â
In hindsight, considering the current situation, and her element, Thorax should have known that she would jinx it.
A resounding BOOM rang out through the hall. The door of one of the storage units, was blasted into pieces from within the space it kept sealed. Burning bits of debris scattered across the floor. The wall and floor in front of the nonexistent door were burned black, the massive scorch area accompanied by residual green flames on the floor. In the thick dust cloud, there was the vague outline of something, or someone .
âOh Faust, please noâŚâ The high up Changelings present knew exactly what that was. The citizens could easily guess. The ponies had no idea.
The dust began to settleâŚ
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<
âIâŚIâmâŚOutâŚâ something , and the lack of anyone speaking, gave Chrysalis the auditory confirmation of her freedom. Finally, she was out of that accursed crystal dungeon. She could escape. She almost hoped that those ponies were still alive so that she could satisfy her burning want to hurt them as much as that spell her her lungsâŚand her head. Casting high-cost spell after spending so long barely using any magic had a tendency to do that.
As the adrenaline rush died down, her senses began functioning properly.
âWait, somethingâs wrong,â Chrysalis started registering the space around her. The air didnât smell the same, the ground fell like rock rather than crystal. And amongst the remains of her enclosure, there was no sign of molten or twisted metal. âWhatâs going on?â
As the dust around her began to settle, she noticed the outline of something to her right. She squinted, as if it would help her see through the cloud.
Then, all the dust settled. Her eyes registered what was to her right. She seized up. To her right was everybody . Thorax, Pharynx, the Changelings they had introduced her to, and the ponies she was supposed to be hiding from. The crowd looked like they had been frozen in the middle of leaving, as they all stared over to her with looks that ranged from shock to fearful panic.
However, there was something more important than the presence of the Royal Sisters, the Princess of Friendship, or the collective Elements of HarmonyâŚ
The presence of Princess CadenceâŚand Prince Shining Armor.
A million questions ran through her head: What were they all doing there? What that mess with the Crystal dungeon not even two minutes ago? Did she have a nightmare, and had broken out at the worst possible moment.
Then, in her head, she heard it.
âRuâŚâ
âUnâŚâ
That voice in her headâŚ
âRuâŚâ
âUnâŚâ
The voice that had been so distant, so echo-likeâŚ
âRuâŚâ âUnâŚâ
The voice that had only spit out broken syllablesâŚ
âRuâŚUnâŚâ
That voice, as if it were standing right next to her ear, finally said one, short simple wordâŚ
â⌠RunâŚâ
Author's Note
Yes, this just happened.
Happy St. Patrick's Day Everyone
Chapter 24: Fight and Flight
Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter. Chapter 1: An Unexpected Guest (edited)
Chapter 1: An Unexpected Guest
âThis is a good dayâ. That was the very thought that ran through King Thoraxâs mind. As the ruler of the Changeling Empire, life was usually a bit chaotic. What with the reconstructing and remodeling of the hive, as well as the occasional monster attacks, there was hardly ever a truly mundane time in the Empire. So the times when he could just sit in the throne room, drink a cup of tea, watch the people of his kingdom from the balcony, and just generally enjoy the quiet, were moments that he cherished and enjoyed greatly. For Thorax, it's like the calm could last foreverâŚ
âYOUR MAJESTY!!!â, Unless someling comes barreling through the Throne Room doors like the world is coming to an end. Alas, all good things must come to an end, and he must return to his royal duties.
â*sigh* Pharynx, brother, This is an unexpected visit,â he said, placing himself back on the throne, âI thought you and your platoon were out on an extended wide area patrol. Why back so soon?â
Thorax leaned forward on his comfortable moss covered stone throne. A small joking smile forming on his face. His âBrotherâ, Pharynx, was the recently appointed general of the newly formed Changeling Defence Force (C.D.F.) and head of all hive defence military operations. While Pharynx himself leaped at the position like the common moth to a lantern burning in the night, some of the recruits lacked the stamina for the job. As such, Thorax liked to poke fun at this fact every once and a while, as he had heard many a story about the drill sessions during basic training. To him, this looked like a perfect opportunity to make a joke, âDid the new recruits burn out a quarter way through the patrol orâŚâ but one look at Pharynxâs face said otherwise. His face was stained with sweat, his breath tired and heavy, legs shaking. Thorax took a few steps forward, his eyes starting to fill with concern and worry.
âBrother, whatâs wrong? You look like youâve been running from Tirek himself.â Thorax quickly levitated a cold glass of water to Pharynxâs lips. He couldnât help but be worried. His brother looked like he had gone through Tartarus and back again. He had to find out what was going on. Fortunately, he would not have to wait long as Pharynx chugged the glass like it was full of apple cider, and after fixing his posture and collecting himself, he began to tell him everything.
âYour Majesty, a few minutes ago I was on a routine patrol exercise with several new recruits and a collection of veterans to the training program.â Thoraxâs guts twisted a little. He didnât like being called âYour Majestyâ, or âSireâ, or anything else that has a royal connotation to it. It was just too formal for him, and made his position as king heavier than it actually was. However in this case he would not comment on it. He knew it was how Pharynx talked to him when he got like this.
âIt was during this time, while scouting the Everfree Forest, we came acrossâŚâ He stopped. There was a long pause, noling spoke. Thorax was hanging on Pharynxâs words like a fish on a hook and his worry and paranoia were building with every second of silence
âWhat, what did you find?â Thorax leaned forward, stopping mid-step. His âbrotherâsâ silence was making his concern burn like fire. âPharynx, what happened out there, what did you fi-â Pharynx put a hoof to Thoraxâs mouth. Any other ruler would have taken some offence to this, but it was common knowledge that Thorax was not that kind of ruler.
âI think...I think it would be easier to show you.â Pharynx said, looking down at the ground slightly with his solid blue changeling eyes.
âShow me what?â It was at this point that Thoraxâs paranoia reached new heights. What was Pharynx going to show him? Were the Timberwolves invading, the constellation beasts, was the forest on FIRE?! Or was itâŚ
âBRING THEM IN!!â
The doors flung open revealing several troopers, pulling and tugging at magical chains. Sweat bearing down their faces. The once quiet Throne Room was now filled with the sounds of grunting and physical strain, the clatter of enchanted metal. And on the end of those chains, was Her. The 12 Changeling troops clearly had to put to put their all into moving her. She had a harness around her barrel, inhibiting the use of her wings, to which 6 of the troops had chains attached, 3 on each side. Another clamp was around her neck, with another 6 troops attached. She was clearly not out of it, but she also didnât go down easy. There were cracks and cuts across her chitin, dried green blood to accompany the wounds. Her legs scraped, kicked, and dragged across the floor, in an effort to resist the Changelings restraining her. Thorax could only watch in awe as they dragged their prisoner to him. When they got close enough, the guards gave a hearty pull and the captive tumbled to the floor. Thorax looked down at her. She looked up at him with eyes that harbored nothing but disgust and hatred for him. Thorax turned to Pharynx.
âWell, this was rather unexpected.â His eyes returned to the sore captive lying in front of him. âI wasnât expecting you to show up anytime,â his voice had gained a noticeable stern tone as he addressed, âQueen Chrysalis.â
End of Chapter One
Author's Note
I hope enjoy this story, and the chapters to(hopefully) come. Like, Fav, and Follow (I need the motivation). Again CONSTRUCTIVE criticism please. If your just in the comments to rant and post hate, then I'm sorry to say your comment will have to go.
AND NOW, TO THE FUTURE!
(Shoutout to âLovelessâ for being the first to comment on this chapter. Good to hear from ya.)
Chapter 12: An Enlightening Day (Part 1)
Author's Note
**IMPORTANT NOTICE**
After I complete the second part of chapter 12, I will be taking a break so that I can make an attempt at starting a YouTube Channel because that is something I've always wanted to do since I was really young.
I'm still trying to figure out if I should use my real face or not but I'll figure It out. What do you think?
Anyway enjoy!
Chapter 12: An Enlightening Day (Part 1)
Chrysalis was definitely kept busy. Every other day, She was asked If she wanted to attend some event or go somewhere in the Changeling Empire. A small dinner party one day, a theater performance another. And there were also days where Thorax would just engage in just simple conversation with her. She didnât feel tired as much as she felt bewildered. She felt like she was on a tour. Which reminded her; Thorax was going to take her on an actual tour of the Hive. A day she waited for with both curiosity and un-ending dread. While she had pushed passed the idea that she was going to be killed at every turn, she still wasnât over the massive amount of gilt she felt.
Regardless, she had said âYesâ to it earlier, and was mentally cursing herself now for it.
âWhy do I do this to myself?â A question she had no answer to. But what she did have an answer to, was the knock at her door.
âCome in,â she said, knowing who was at her door just from the knock.
Sure enough, Thorax was the one to walk in. He smiled as he entered, happy to see Chrysalis. âHey there,â he greeted.
âHello,â Chrysalis responded. She knew exactly what was coming.
âSo,â Thorax asked, âReady for that tour?â He was nervous about her answer.
Chrysalis quietly took a deep breath, âSure! Whenever youâre ready.â Her answer allowed Thorax to keep up his cheery expression.
âGreat,â he said, âIf youâre sure youâre all set, then we can get started.â
Chrysalis walked out of the room, and they began to go on their way.
âSo,â Chrysalis asked, âWhere are we going first?â
Thorax continued looking ahead as he walked along his guest, âWell, I do have an interesting first stop picked out.â
~~~~~~~~~~~~~<
Tibia was speed trotting through the kitchen keeping an eye on everything in her view. Noling could rationalize how she managed to act as head chef and a waitress when they were short on staff, and yet she did without breaking a sweat. She was on her way to her office, when a sight caught her eye. It was the sight of Thorax and Chrysalis walking into the kitchen. On a dime she detoured in their direction. She almost startled them with how fast she appeared before them.
âMonsieur Thorax! Madam Chrysalis!â the Prench Changeling exclaimed.
Thorax bowed his head to the chef, âHello Tibia.â
âW-What are you two doing here?â Tibia was still slightly in shock.
Tibia gasped, âMonsieur Thorax, why did you not tell me about this? I would have prepared something special for you!â She yanked his ear as a mother would do to their disobedient child. âHonte Ă vous Monsieur.â
Thorax massaged the yanked ear, âSorry Tibia. I just didnât want anyling to put on an act on my account.â
Chrysalis was stunned by the exchange. âShe...She just pulled on his ear! On her KINGâS ear!â She pondered how it was possible for Tibia to get away with such an action. A bizarre thought came to her. âAre Thoraxâs subjects so comfortable around him that they can do such things?â
Tibia cleared her throat, âWell, I guess I could show you around the kitchen.â She motioned her hoof to the rest of the facility, âIf you would follow me, please.â
They had only taken a few steps before Tibia stopped them âOh, mon Dieu! I almost forgot!â She pulled an elastic hair band out of a pocket in her uniform, and turned to Chrysalis. âThis will only take a moment Madam,â Tibia said as she reached for the former Queenâs long mane.
Chrysalis reeled back a bit, âWhat are you doing?â
âI am tying your hair up, Madam,â The Prench Changeling clarified, âAll Changelings with long manes must tie it up. Itâs a heath protocol.â
âOhâŚâ Chrysalis felt a little silly for not thinking about such a thing.
Tibia then tied Chrysalisâ hair into a neat bun. âThere we go, Madam.â Tibia looked at her handy work and smiled âOh, it looks fantastique!â
âY-You really think so?â Chrysalis was unsure of the compliment.
âIâd have to agree,â Thorax added on, âIt suits you.â
Chrysalis frose in that moment. She was being complimented on her appearance. Any other pony, grown or foal, would describe her as âhideousâ, âabominableâ, or run away screaming. Yet here, she was described as looking âfantasticâ with no sarcasm or fear.
âWell then,â Tibia inquired, âShall I show you two around?â
~~~~~~~~~~~~<
The walk around the kitchen was standard but still interesting. Tibia showed them the main cookery, the fondue maker, and all the other major sections of the work place that she ran. At the end she made them gourmet chocolate strawberries as a treat, said their farewells, and the duo were on their way again to their next location.
âSo,â Thorax said after swallowing a strawberry, âWhere in the Hive would you like to go next?â
Chrysalis couldnât really think of anything. She was at a loss for Ideas. âYouâre the tour guide. Your pick.â
Thorax thought for a moment and then came up with a great thing to do. âHow about we see what my brother is doing?â
âOh⌠well sure.â
They began walking to do just that, but Chrysalis soon realised something. âThorax, this isnât the way to the balcony.â
âWeâre not going to the balcony,â He said, âWeâre going to the courtyard.â
âWhat!â Naturally, Chrysalis panicked. âB-ButâŚHeâs training pony soldiers. If they see me, theyâll-â
âYou still remember how to shapeshiftâŚright?â Thorax interrupted, with a quizzical look on his face.
Chrysalis was stunned. âWha...What?â
âShapeshifting,â Thorax repeated, âYou still remember how to do that, right?â
Chrysalis went from panicked, to down right bewildered. âButâŚthe inhibitor...it-â
âHave you checked it recently?â
Chrysalis looked down at the bejeweled crest that was meant to detain magic, and if her jaw could drop any further, it would probably hit the floor. The inhibitorâs level of restraint was even lower now than the last time she checked, which now that she thought about it was a while ago.
âSo, you still remember?â Thorax smiled.
Chrysalis began to concentrate. It had been a long time since she had used such a power. Still couldnât hurt to give it a try. She created a picture in her head of what she wanted to look like, who she wanted to be: A new Changeling with rose colored wings and a light green carapace. All accompanied with a pair of purple eyes. She pressed her teeth together in concentration. Slowly, the magical flames wrapped around her like a blanket, and enveloped her. After a few seconds, the flames receded, revealing that yes, She still remembered how to shapeshift.
~~~~~~~~~~~~<
âCOME ON, MOVE!â Pharynx barked at the trainees as they moved across the field, âMove like death is after you!â
The recruits moved as fast as they could, trying to get past every obstacle correctly. Pharynx kept ahead of them on the course, doing along with them. He saw it as a way to motivate the trainees, to show that it was possible to do it. However, there were a few recruits struggling with the climbing section, one more than others.
âOh, thatâs right Private Aster,â Pharynx barked at the pony from atop the wall, âDonât make any actual effort to get up to the top of the obstacle. If Celestia wanted you up here, she would have miracled your hide up here by now, wouldnât she?â His orientation speech may have been him letting of steam and having fun, but some of the troops were honestly wearing on his nerves. And it showed.
Private Aster, a brown coated, black maned earth pony, Struggled to climb the wall. While he was making progress, it was painfully slow.
âPrivate Aster! Whatever you do, donât fall down! That would break my heart!â Pharynx was determined to get that pony to the top of the obstical. âGet your hide up here, Aster!â
âI-Iâm trying, S-Sir,â Aster managed to sputter out in his exhaustion.
âIâll bet you if the mare of your dreams was up here on top of this obstacle, you could get up here! Couldnât you!â
Pharynx wanted so badly to lay into Aster with verbal thashings all day until he climbed the obstacle. However,he took a few deep breaths, calmed himself, and tried something else.
âTROOPS,â Pharynx shouted, getting everyoneâs attention, âGet washed up and take a 5 minute break. After words there will be a 5k march before meal time.â
Everypony stopped and looked in the generalâs direction. For them, this came right out of left field. The blank stares didnât last long, however.
âWell, what are waiting for,â Pharynx yelled, âIf you want that break, I expect you to off this field in 2 minutes!â
And with that everypony head for their bunks. Aster was starting to head there.
âPrivate Aster,â But Pharynx stopped him, âCome here.â
Aster nervously walked over to his current commanding officer. He was shaking, his mouth quivered, as he stood before the Changeling General that was more than a few inches taller than him.
He managed to stammer out a, âS-Sir?â
âPrivate Aster,â Pharynxâs voice was stern and commanding, but it wasnât loud and angry. It was calm, âWhy are you unable to negotiate that obstacle?â
âSir, I-Iâm sorry. I was just too weak to do it. Iâm sorry, Sir.â
Pharynx looked at Aster with an analytical eye. âI know exactly what to do.â He thought.
âPrivate Aster,â He kept his posture straight, âStarting tomorrow, I will have you set up to take exercise courses to increase your stamina.â
Aster looked up at Pharynx in surprize and awe. âWhaâŚ?â He was expecting to receive a ejection from the military at best.
âI will also be sending you to the doctor for a full physical,â Pharynx continued, âAnd if it proves necessary, I will have you trained in the use of special equipment that will allow you to better navigate obstacles.â
Aster was still in shock. âS-Sir...Why...?
âBecause Iâm your teacher, and your my student,â The Changeling general responded, âAnd sometimes, students need some extra aid in order to properly learn.â
âS-So...Your not discharging me?â
âAster, I read your profile. If I thought you had no potential, at all, in any aspect of training, we wouldnât be having this conversation. So no, I'm not discharging you, because yes, I think you have what it takes.â
Aster would have cried if he were not standing in front of his Drill Instructor, but he was close to letting a few tears loose. âTh-Thank you, Sir.â
Pharynx smiled, âYouâre welcome, Privateâ He nudged Asterâs shoulder. âNow you carry on,â he motioned toward the bunk area, âThereâs 3 minutes let in your break.â
âSir, yes, Sir!â Aster said with a new found self-confidence. He went of to join his fellow trainees.
âSo, has anyling told you âYou could be a fatherâ?â Thorax seemed to have come out of nowhere, but it didnât startle Pharynx.
âThorax,â Pharynx turned to face his sibling, âThis is quite the surprise visit.â
âWell, I canât pass up on a chance to support my brother.â
Pharynx then noticed the Changeling next to Thorax. If his memory served him correctly(Which it usually did), he had never seen her before. Yet, there was an air of familiarity about her.
âWho is this?â Pharynx telepathically asked through the Hivemind.
âItâs Chrysalis,â Thorax responded.
âYou gave her the leeway to use shifting magic?â
âPharynx, trust me. You said you would. I know what Iâm doing.â
â...AlrightâŚâ Pharynx then turned his attention to the disguised Chrysalis. âItâs good to see you, mam. You designed a great form to use.â
Chrysalis was stunned for a moment by the fact that Pharynx knew it was her. âOkay, stay calm, roll with it.â
âT-Thank you, it took a while to make.â Chrysalis was trying to keep cool under the pressure she now found herself under.
âIt really suits you,â Pharynx said politely.
âSo,â Chrysalis asked, âIs that how you work with troops?â
Pharynx looked out onto the the field, âLike I said earlier, sometimes they need a little extra support to get the job done.â
Chrysalis spaced out, âHaâŚhe really is like a Father, isnât he?â Chrysalis quietly though out loud.
âYou say something Chrysalis?â Thorax asked.
âOh,â Chrysalis was brought out of her thoughts by Thorax addressing her, âN-No, nothing.â She waved her hoof, dismissively.
âSo,â Pharynx said slyly, âWho wants to try out my obstacle course?
TRANSLATIONS:
Honte Ă vous Monsieur (Shame on you Mister)
fantastique (Fantastic)
mon Dieu (my god)
Chapter 13: A Potential Problem
âDid she look shocked when you told her?â Pharynx followed behind Thorax, as his brother sifted through a stack of letters with his magic.
âYes, she did.â Thorax continued marching towards his room, glancing at each envelope while Pharynx tried to keep up.
âDid she say anything afterwards?â
âNo, she didnât.â
âWell, what happened after-â
âPharynx!â Thorax looked back at Pharynx with a mixed look of exhaustion, agitated frustration, and anger. âI just canât right now.â
âCanât do what?â
âThis!â Thorax exclaimed, as he entered his living quarters. âI canât deal with Chrysalis and your pressing questions at the same time!â
âThorax, you know that I know that isnât what this is about!â
âThen what is it about then?â
âThis is about you, being very worried about Chrysalisâ reaction to what you told her. Youâre worried about what she thinks of you and the Hive.â
Thorax flopped the letters down on his desk, holding his face in his hooves. âI feel like such an idiot!â
âTo be fair, you really didnât have any other options.â
Thorax threw his hooves up in the air, âThere must have been something else I could have said!â
âLike what?â Pharynx arched an eyebrow dubiously, as to question the actual likelihood of his brotherâs claim.
âWell, I could have...uh...IâŚâ Thoraxâs mind turned up with nothing, not a thing he could have said that wasnât what he told Chrysalis at least 20 minuets ago.
âExactly,â Pharynx stated clearly, â And besides, you told her that we care about her. Isnât that what you wanted to convey the whole time?â
âItâs not that I didnât want to tell her,â Thorax clarified, âI just didnât want to say it so obviously.â
Pharynx sighed. âWell, whatâs done is done. All we can do now is make the best of it.â
âI just hope we can make the best of it.â
âHey,â Pharynx placed a hoof on his brotherâs shoulder, âPromise me something?â
âWhat?â Thorax seemed a tad perplexed.
âDonât make a sobbing mess out of the bed sheets again, okay?â
Warm laughter followed and lasted for the next few minutes.
However, in all the dayâs excitement, Thorax had completely forgotten to look through the stack letters on the table.
Especially one that had a particular seal on itâŚ
Author's Note
New chapter!
Question: Who do you think that particular letter is from, and what do you think it is about?
Stay tuned for the next chapter!
